And the Snow Keeps Falling - A Tale of Storms
by Dark Noel
Summary: When Kyle mysteriously dissapears for two years, South Park begins to change...Craig has to deal with a dark past, and awaken some demons. Kenny is discovering some new interests, and Butters is hiding a dark secret. An evil organization is rising, and a series of strange dreams foretell of a dark future. Five storms are coming...but is anyone prepared for them? (Multiple Books)
1. SM: Swinging for the Same Team

_**Author's Note:**_

_Welcome everyone! I'm actually just here to update the current progress of the story with a directory! But for those of you who are just joining the story, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Noel, I'm an aspiring writer and a HUGE South Park fan! I hope you all look forward to starting this adventure, and I hope to hear from everyone on how they're enjoying the story! :)_

**And the Snow Keeps Falling – A Tale of Storms Directory:**

**_Book 1: Prophecy of Five Storms_**

**_Prologue Arc: Chapters 1 – 10_**

**_Craig's Past Arc: Chapters 11 – 20_**

**_Arrival of the Dark Rider Arc: Chapters 21 – 30_**

**_Wendy's Heart Arc: Chapters 30 - 35_**

**_..._**

**_Book 2: The Four Friends_**

**_To the Stars Arc: Chapter 36 - 45_**

**_Wendy's Awakening Arc: 46 - 55_**

**_Tale of an Angel Arc: 56 - 70_**

Chapter 1 - Swinging for the Same Team

**POV: **Stan Marsh

The halls of South Park elementary were buzzing with activity; students running back and forth in the halls, locker doors slamming shut, and hushed chatter of the latest gossip filled the ears of young Stan Marsh. Stan opened his locker, clean and spacey on the inside, and reached up to grab his history book for Mr. Garrison's class. He shut the door with a light metal _thud_ and glanced up at the clock on top of the hallway threshold. The time read 1:43. 'Two minutes to get to class.' Stan thought as he tucked it between his left arm and fast walked his way to Mr. Garrison's classroom. The hallways were decorated with paper snowflakes hanging from the ceiling, and red and green decorative fabrics lining the classroom doors. It was two weeks until Christmas, and one week until Exams were over with. Next Friday Stan would be off of school for a whole two weeks. It was everyone's last class of the day (everyone was out by 3 P.M). He walked past all the festive decorations and finally arrived in Mr. Garrison's classroom. The usual chatter, swearing, and obscenities were being muttered and shouted by the other students. Since the class behaved this way, Mr. Garrison had to assign a seating chart, much to his students dismay, though it never did seem to work.

Stan made his way over to his desk, which was situated next to the window. Next to him on his right sat Craig, wearing his blue hat as usual. Stan sat down as Craig silently stared at him. 'What?' Stan asked. Craig spoke in his deep monotone voice 'Hello Craig. Good morning Craig. How was your day Craig. What are you doing for the weekend Craig?' Stan took this as a half joke. 'Good day, sir asswipe.' Stan said, reaching over and pulling Craig's hat down over his head. Craig moved his fingers to find his hat and re-adjusted it as soon as Mr. Garrison made his way into the classroom. 'OK Children let's take our seats.' Stan always was amused by that. The students were usually always already sitting, yet Mr. Garrison always asked them to sit...oh well, he's always been a weird teacher, with a mentality that's homosexual, yet homophobic, you never knew with Mr. Garrison. Stan remembered the time he had paired him and Kyle up with an egg to protect. Stan had told Kyle 'I'm a better egg-taker-carer than you!'

Stan grinned at the thought, feeling a light warmth at their friendship. He was fond of Kyle, the two had known each other since Pre-school. Stan always had the dominant, voice of reason role between the two. Though Kyle was never afraid to speak his mind. He was, to Stan, one smart Jewish kid. Stan moved his eyes over across the classroom. Eight desks down from Craig, near the door, was Kyle. If only Mr. Garrison hadn't made this seating chart. This was the only class Stan and Kyle had together at school, and he hardly ever talked to his best friend, because Mr. Garrison typically lectured on and on about nothing, yet somehow still remained their teacher. Stan and Kyle seemed to have distanced each other just a little bit. Stan was looking at his friend, feeling a longing to spend a weekend with his best friend. The Jewish boy was always so busy with his advanced courses he hardly had time to hang out on the weekends. Kyle had extra-curriculars, so Stan often had to be driven home or walk home on his own.

Stan was also very busy. He had had consistent A's for several semesters now. He chose not to do any extra-curricular activities. He didn't care much for basketball, thought chess was too boring, and debate was taken over by Cartman...and Wendy. His heart sunk at the thought of his ex-girlfriend. His memory flashed back to the last day of school his last academic year. Stan was cleaning out his locker, smiling that he had advanced yet another year in school, with perfect grades. He pulled his padlock from the front side of his locker, dropping it in a small pocket in his backpack. 'All done! Summer time!' Stan thought. He zipped up his backpack and made his way to the front of the school, where he was going to meet with Kyle, Wendy, Craig, Tweak, Bebe, Kenny, and unfortunately Cartman (who invited himself) to head over to Whistling Willies to grab a pizza, an old tradition the friends developed at the end of each year. Stan arrived at the front entrance, walking over to the front doors. A moment before he reached them, he was stopped by a blonde in a red sweater.

'Hey Stan...' Bebe said flatly. 'Hey!' Stan greeted her as he continued walking for the door. He reached down to push the metal latch as Bebe interrupted his action. 'Stan.' Bebe said, with a serious tone. Stan looked up at her. 'You're going with us aren't you?' Stan asked, a bit oblivious. 'Stan...' Bebe walked up. Wendy asked me to give this to you. Bebe reached inside her sweater pocket and pulled out a piece of notebook paper, handing it to Stan. His fingers gripped it, lightly crumpling in his grasp as he gave Bebe a blank stare. Her stare was blank as well. She walked away quietly. Stan looked down at the note, terrified of what he might find. He was starting to get a bit queasy. He delicately opened up the notebook paper, to find Wendy's words scrawled in the middle: _Stan, meet me at Stark's pond. _That was all it said.

Stan took a moment to digest what he read. Maybe she was just having some troubles and wanted to confide in Stan. He pushed any negative thoughts to the back of his head. He'd had a great year, how could anything ruin it now? He walked out the front door, where he saw his friends waiting for him. Kyle gazed up at him 'There he is!' he called out in his group. The others gazed over at Stan, all eyes on him. Stan gave a friendly wave to Kyle. 'Hey...' he said as he approached the red head Jewish boy. 'My dad wants me to go home real quick, he says he thinks he may have left the front door unlocked. I'll meet you guys at Willies, OK?' Kyle's light smile changed into a flat line. 'Is everything ok, Stan?' he asked. His best friend always knew when something was wrong. Sometimes Stan felt he knew Stan better than himself. 'Yeah, I'll take extra onions on my pizza.' Stan said. He turned to walk away, 'See you soon!' he said.

His walk to Stark's pond seemed like a few seconds. He remembered approaching the water, the water rippling gently against the shore as he saw Wendy sitting on a log, her back to him. Stan walked over to the log, and sat down as Wendy silently stared into the distance. 'Stan...' she said to him, looking down at her feet. She looked troubled, and sad. A slight gust of wind picked up, sending the warm summer air through Stan's hair, Wendy's hair flew across her eyes, she took her hand it brushed it back. She looked over at him as the wind blew leaves from the trees, the water rippled softly, and the sun was setting.

Stan suddenly snapped back to the present. He noticed all the students were looking at him, and he met Mr. Garrison's face with a blank stare. 'Stanley?' Mr. Garrison asked him. Stan felt hot with embarrassment, he was worrying about his troubles, and didn't even notice Mr. Garrison had spoken to him. 'Yes?' Stan asked, clearly demonstrating he wasn't paying attention. 'Do you want to be partners with Kyle?' his teacher asked. Up on the board Mr. Garrison had written _History Report_ _Teams_ and Stan realized he was likely just asking him to choose a partner. 'I'll take Kyle as a partner.' Stan said. The phone rang on Mr. Garrison's desk. 'Excuse me, children.' he said as he walked femininely over to his work phone. He picked up the phone 'Yes? Uh-huh...OK...Yup, I'll let them know, thank you.' Mr. Garrison clicked the phone back in place.

'Ok children, I have an announcement to make as decided by the school board.' Mr Garrison said as he gazed around the classroom. 'As of today, a new dress code policy will be enforced.' The room exploded with 'Awws!' and lowered heads. 'Now children, it's not all that bad, all that it requires is that children remove any hats, hoods, or headgear, unless of course it's headgear for your teeth or something. Seriously though, if you have that you'd be a dumbass to show up to class anyway. OK children let's start of our class with...' his voice turned into background noise as Stan reached up to remove his hat. His black hair fell downwards over his eyes. Stan grew self conscious, thinking he had 'hat hair' and quickly played with his hair, hoping it adjusted correctly.

He looked over to see Kyle hesitantly remove his hat. He felt bad for Kyle, having to be picked on because he had tall, red hair. Not many other boys had red hair. Stan had thought it was unique rather than funny. Kyle never liked it, but Stan didn't think it was that bad. He had always accepted Kyle the way he was, just as Kyle had accepted him. The pair had always been best friends ever since pre-school, nothing could ever seem to tear them apart. 'OK children, get with your groups now.' Mr. Garrison said as he went to his desk and began scribbling away at papers.

Stan stood up, and shuffled his way through the moving students to make his way over to his Jewish friend. 'Finally!' he thought 'Some time with my best friend.' He sat down, the two exchanged ecstatic glances. 'So what do you think we should do our topic about, Stan?' Stan was lost in thought about his friendship with Kyle, but quickly returned to the present. Why was he so distracted today? He hadn't had any caffeine. Stan had to take a second to register what Kyle had asked. He at least knew Mr. Garrison had babbled on about the middle ages. Stan grasped for the right answer. 'Well, uh, how about we do a topic about what a household was like in the middle ages?'

'Sure, that sounds good.' Kyle said as he pulled his backpack up to his lap and rummaged through it for a mechanical pencil and a notebook. He pulled both out to set on the table and briskly flipped open his notebook to a blank page. 'Well...' Stan started. 'Maybe we could just do a topic about the role of a specific family member in a house. Since we're both sons, why don't we research that, it'd be more relevant anyway.' Kyle nodded and blinked in agreement.

'Good idea.' he said as he lifted his hand to write the title neatly on top of the notebook paper 'A Son's Role in the Middle-Ages.' Stan was always jealous of Kyle's handwriting. Stan's was good, yet never quite up to par with Kyle. He wrote with such speed and grace it was hard to believe he had such a gift. Stan thought to himself how he was probably the 2nd best in the class as far as good grades went, only to Kyle, maybe Wendy. He pushed his ex girlfriend to the back of his mind.

Mr. Garrison got up from his desk 'Ok children I think it might be a good idea since time is running out to have two students go down to the office at a time and make some copies out of the textbooks depending on your topic, that way you all won't have to carry around a huge weight all weekend' Mr. Garrison continued: 'Now, who would like to go down to the office first?' Stan raised his hand almost immediately and expected Kyle to raise his as well. Kyle didn't raise his hand, but Cartman, who was sitting next to him did. Cartman probably just wanted something from the vending machine. He somehow ended up paired with Kenny, who was leaning on his elbow, head in palm. He hated taking off his hood, since he always had messy hair. It was an interesting partnership, since Cartman always seemed to rip on Kenny for no reason.

Mr. Garrison's gaze trailed around the classroom. His eyes met Stan's, he was one of his favorites. 'Ok Stan, how about you go...and...' Mr. Garrison saw Cartman, but quickly discarded any thought and set his focus on Kyle. 'And...how about you take Kyle with you. Kyle, would you mind? You wouldn't have a partner anyway.' Kyle stood up almost immediately, without warning, and started moving towards the door. Stan had a delayed reaction, and got up nearly a second later than Kyle. The two left the room together, Kyle held the door open for Stan as he came up behind him. 'Thanks...' Stan said quietly as he passed through the doorway out into the hallway.

'I love getting out of class.' Kyle said. 'It's so boring.' Along the way, Stan noticed that they both weren't as talkative as usual. 'Why am I being so quiet?' Stan wondered to himself. He always talked to Kyle smoothly for years, but this was the first time he didn't know what to talk about. Kyle just walked beside him, eyes forward. Stan searched for things to talk about, but couldn't find them. The two arrived at the copying room, and got to work. They each chose different chapters to print off and got started. Kyle opened his textbook, flawless and new-looking, and placed it neatly on the copying machine. The two then started making copies, Stan a moment later than Kyle.

As Stan was printing, his talking seemed to come back to him again. Stan chattered on about the craziness in his family, how his father Randy was always completely nuts. He spoke of Shelly, who was still ugly and nasty. He also discussed how his grandfather was getting old, yet still managed to be feisty, yet hilarious. He noticed the entire time he talked, Kyle wasn't looking at him. The Jew just gazed down at the copy machine, the occasional brightness from the machine lit up his face.

'So our topic...' Kyle randomly said after a short silence. 'Do you think we should just generally report on the expectations of sons, or what they actually did, or what exactly?' Kyle inquired. 'Well...' Stan started, 'Well, I'm sure growing up in medieval times wasn't overly strict. Though I suppose your lifestyle depended more on which family you were born into. I mean, I'd say I was born into a pretty crazy household, but yet I managed to overcome the craziness and be my own, awesome self.' he grinned a bit at his half-joke. 'Though you were raised in a fairly strict family...yet we both grew up to be smart, awesome...and similar in many ways.'

Stan was a page behind Kyle as the Jew tucked his completed papers into a neat pile. 'Well, I'm headed back to class now.' Stan looked up at Kyle, almost giving him a desperate gaze. 'Kyle...hey I just have one more, let me walk back with you.' He wondered why Kyle hadn't looked at him much at all today, was something wrong? He seemed just fine before the two left the classroom. He was glad when he saw his friend remained still. He seemed so serious about an assignment, yet it pleased Stan he would wait for him. This almost made Stan feel a bit special. Maybe Kyle was just having an off day. Stan took the lead back towards the classroom.

Along the way Stan thought to himself 'Why did I just insist the two of us should walk back together?! Well..we are good friends. Wait, why am I thinking about why it's an issue for us to walk back...I mean it's not like we're...' 'Hey Stan.' Kyle said, catching Stan off-guard. Stan snapped back to the present yet again, why was his mind wandering so much today? The Jew started again 'So since the report is due by Monday, and today is Friday, do you just want to stay after school and finish our report together so we can have a longer weekend?' Stan thought of the idea. More time with his best friend. 'Sure.' he said. 'Cool!' Kyle said with a new grin 'We can spend more time together that way.'

Stan gave him a slight nod and a warm smile. As he walked along the hallways with Kyle, he realized he was starting to feel warm. His heart was beating a bit faster. Well, all this walking is sure to raise the heart rate a bit, right? Stan didn't know why, but he looked over at Kyle. Kyle looked back at him as they moved, an eyebrow raised in amusement. Stan suddenly realized with horror that he was gazing at Kyle's soft red lips, not at his eyes. He glanced back up and met Kyle's gaze as he realized how awkward he must have looked. He quickly looked ahead again, trying to pretend he was invisible. 'Wow Stan, your face is redder than my hair.' Stan just looked forward and continued walking.


	2. KB: Love, Darkness, and Sadness

_Thanks for your dedication!_

Chapter 2 - Love, Darkness, and Sadness

**POV**: Kyle Broflovski

All day Kyle and Stan were together in the library, researching family life in the middle ages. The library was quiet, most of the staff and students went home, but principal Victoria gave Stan and Kyle permission to use the library as long as the janitor was still working. All the teachers and staff locked their rooms and offices anyway, it's not like they could do anything naughty. So here they were, in the eerily silent library as Kyle looked down at a book and the pages they printed off together, flipping the pages looking for new information. Stan browsed the web on his laptop next to him. The two worked together quietly except for the low hum of Stan's laptop, both seeming intently focused on their work. Kyle flipped a page from his book, and saw a picture in his book of an image depicting a brothel. Kyle blushed and flipped the page.

Kyle was giving him any information that might help with their assignment. After two hours of boredom, the two finally saved their assignment to Stan's computer, and printed it off. 'I'll go get it,' Kyle said. He was bored enough reading for two hours, he figured he might as well find something to do. Kyle stood out of his chair and walked across the quiet library. He reached the large double doors at the entrance and pushed them open, walking out into the hallway and began the short trek to the office. Along the way Kyle noticed his combination lock was unhooked from itself, it was hanging there, as if Kyle never locked the door.

Kyle thought he always locked his locker door. 'Oh well, I guess everyone forgets.' Kyle went over and pulled the padlock out to glance inside his locker for a moment, to make sure everything was still in order. His locker was neat and clean, all his books stacked neatly and seemingly not a speck of dirt inside. Kyle slowly closed the door, peeking around it as he closed it to gaze at the inside. The locker door shut and Kyle locked his combo lock in place, then continued onward down the hall. As he turned the corner into the final hallway before the principals office, he noticed a locker was open further down, but it was covering somebody.

Kyle walked along, curious about who this person was. He thought him, Stan, and the janitor were the only ones here. As he walked along the opposite side of the hallway, the locker door shut revealing a girl with long black hair and a purple sweater. It was Wendy. She turned to the direction where the office was and walked away, she didn't notice Kyle. Kyle had always been a little jealous of Wendy, she seemed to always have good looks, charm, and seemed to have decent values. Exactly the things Kyle wanted in a partner later in life.

Wendy turned into the girls bathroom as Kyle went into the office located at the corner of the hallway and grabbed him and his partners report from the printer. He left the office and turned back the way he came as he looked down at his report, studying it over to make sure it looked good. 'Oh, hey Kyle.' Kyle looked up, a bit startled. Wendy had just left the bathroom and was right in front of him, he may have nearly walked right into her if she hadn't said something. 'Oh...hey Wendy, how are things?' Kyle asked politely. 'Not too bad, I just forgot my gym clothes, I take them home every weekend to wash them then just bring them back Monday.'

'Oh...' Kyle said awkwardly 'Well Stan and I are just working on our report, how is yours coming along?' Wendy and Kyle held a loose gaze. 'Bebe and I finished ours about half an hour ago.' Kyle huffed. 'Man, it always seems you girls are smarter than the rest of us. I've been working on my report for two hours.' Wendy grinned slightly. 'I guess that means you may just be harder working, but we're smarter.' Kyle took this as a joke, smirking and letting out a light huff in response. 'Well I better get back to the library,' Kyle started 'Stan is probably wondering where I'm at.' Kyle started to walk away, expecting to hear a goodbye from Wendy.

'Kyle.' Wendy called after him. Kyle froze for a second, and turned around slowly. 'Yeah?' he asked. Wendy was fixated on him, seeming half-worried, half-sad, 'Just...have fun, OK?' Kyle took a second to ponder over what she meant. Kyle didn't know what to say, so he just smiled and nodded. Kyle walked away briskly, without hearing a goodbye or another word from Wendy.

Kyle had an awkward relationship with Wendy. They were nice to each other, but it always seemed weird because she was Stan's ex-girlfriend. Stan and Wendy finally sat down after their umpteenth break up and 'decided' they want to be close friends, but think they should see other people. Kyle felt a light burn of annoyance in his temple. It's not like 'staying friends' didn't mean they were either going to have a nasty fallout or get together yet again.

Kyle returned to the library, seeing Stan closed his laptop. 'There you are!' Stan said as he began to unplug his laptop and tidy things up. 'Where were you, Starks Pond?' Stan teased around. 'Yeah, I went skinny dipping.' Kyle gave a sly grin, though Stan didn't notice. Kyle picked the textbook he had used off the table, and wandered off to put it back on the shelf. Kyle returned to the table him and Stan shared, and noticed Stan, and his bag were gone. Kyle began searching around for Stan, looking down row after row of books.

Kyle walked by and looked down a row at the far end of the library and saw Stan cross a part of the computer lab with his laptop. 'Yes.' Kyle thought, he's probably returning his laptop. The windows of the computer lab let in a faint orange color through the blinds. Kyle made his way between the shelves and slowly entered the computer lab. Stan was over at the laptop cart, putting his numbered laptop back in the right spot. For some reason, this quietness was pleasing to Kyle. It almost made him just want to relax here with Stan for a bit.

Stan didn't realize Kyle was behind him, and he pulled his backpack around and placed it on top of the cart. He pulled out a book, and opened it for a moment. He seemed interested in the contents. Kyle felt awkward about just standing there, so he clumsily backed out of the room, closed the door _very _lightly, and knocked and re-entered. 'Stan?' he said as he walked in. He noticed the book was gone now, Stan had a hand in his backpack as he walked in. 'Oh...hey Kyle.' Stan said nervously as he made himself pull his hand back out and zip up his backpack. 'What are you doing, stealing things?' Kyle joked. Stan gave a nervous smile.

Kyle walked over to Stan. The orange light coming through the window blinds seemed to find a spot on Stan's lips. Kyle realized awkwardly he was looking at Stan's lips again, and blushed a bit. 'Hey, do you know it's supposed to snow later?' Kyle asked. It was true, South Park was expecting yet another snow storm, and it was supposed to happen after sunset. 'Maybe we should go home, Kyle said.' Stan was quiet for a minute.

'Kyle...' Stan said, looking past Kyle at the floor. 'I...' Kyle tilted his head slightly. 'What's gotten into him?' he wondered. Stan swallowed and slowly looked back up at Kyle, holding a delicate gaze with him, his blue eyes seemingly sparkling. 'I need to ask you something...' Stan began, seeming to choke at his question. Kyle immediately braced himself, wondering what he was going to ask. Was this another thing about Wendy? Were the two having issues? Kyle listened to all the problems Stan and Wendy had before, but it nonetheless drove him nuts. Maybe this was why Wendy was so weird to Kyle in the hallway. Maybe the 'have fun' was meant to be more venomous than he thought.

It seemed like a second that lasted forever before Stan moved his lips. 'Do you think I look better without my hat?' Kyle stood there, dumbstruck. He was sure he would have asked something else, especially acting so serious. Kyle glanced up at Stan's black bangs. Wait?! Why did he care what Stan's hair looked like?! Kyle gave a nervous chuckle. 'I think you look fine either way.' Kyle said carefully. 'But which do you like better?' Stan asked. Kyle realized he never did answer his question. 'Truthfully Stan, it doesn't matter to me one way or another...you're still Stan to me.' Stan's face developed some light dimples. He reached out and patted Kyle on the head. 'As a matter of fact...' he started, 'I think I like you either way too.' Kyle grinned. 'Well thanks...' he said, a bit surprised, Why was Stan being so...friendly, yet a bit shy?

'Hey...' Stan began again. My family is out of town this week. They're going to another musical in California.' Stan's family always took trips every other weekend, sometimes with him, sometimes without him, but the Marsh family always liked to have one person at home. It just so happened this week it was Stan. Kyle grinned 'Sure, I'll come over! Just let me call my parents first.' Kyle pulled out his phone and beckoned Stan with a wave of his hand. 'Let's get out of here, Kyle said. Stan and Kyle walked through the hallways together as Kyle called and asked his parents if he could stay over at Stan's. 'OK, thanks!' Kyle said as he hung up his phone.

This was what Kyle wanted, a night to just relax and do whatever with his best friend. The two exited the school front doors, and began the walk home. The air was crisp, yet sharp as the cold wind blew at the both of them. 'Better get our hats on...' Stan said as he leaned his backpack in front of him halfway while walking to get his hat out from his backpack. Kyle did the same, searching for his light green hat. As Kyle pulled his out, Stan was till rummaging through his bag. Kyle saw his best friends hat being pulled out, but what his friend didn't realize was that the book he had earlier was being pulled out too. It fell out onto the sidewalk. Stan quickly scrambled to pick it up as Kyle quickly read the title. Kyle looked at the title, confused. There, in big words, was '**Romantic Tales of Peasants, Kings, and Thieves.**'Since when had Stan been into romance?

'You like romance novels?' Kyle asked, but not as if to interrogate him. Stan pushed the book back into his backpack and picked up his walking again. 'It definitely does have some interesting chapters. It talks about how couples acted with one another back then.' Kyle remembered when him and Stan pretended to be in the middle ages...Stan was a brave warrior who fought by Kyle, who was the 'high elf king.' He remembered they both had played a game for the 'Stick of Truth.' Cartman had Kenny and some kid everyone just called 'Douchebag' or 'The New Kid.' Yet Kyle had Stan, who fought as a noble and brave warrior. Though in the end they all made an alliance against Clyde. Kenny, being the weirdo he was decided to try to take the stick himself near the end, so in turn Douchebag was allowed to fart on his balls. Kyle grinned, remembering the adventure he had with his friends. But most of all he was glad to have the relationship he did with Stan.

The two walked home in the cold December weather, they had one more week of school, and then Christmas break. Kyle unconsciously lifted his right hand very slowly. He then realized his hand was up and lowered it back akwardly. Luckily Stan was just enough in front of him to not see this. The two were just down the street, Stan's house in view as a single snowflake fell down onto Stan's hat. 'Here it comes.' Stan muttered as he blew upwards lightly into his bangs, sending them upwards and falling back down.

The two made their way to Stan's house. They walked in together, stepping into the cozy yet spacious home of Stan Marsh and family, removing their hats and placing them on the coat rack. Stan locked the door behind them. As the two removed their jackets, Stan told Kyle 'By the way Kyle, you left some clothes over here, we had them washed up for you so you don't have to worry about needing another change of clothes in case you decide to spend the night.' Kyle simply nodded his reply as Stan took off his backpack. He lightly reached for Kyle's shoulder strap and slid it off his arms. 'I'll take these upstairs, want to pick out a movie for us?' 'Sure.' Kyle said as he walked into the Marsh living room. Stan turned his back to Kyle and slowly padded up the stairs. Kyle turned into the living room.

It was a a nicely furnished area. Designer couches and a nice glass coffee table in the middle. Stan had a nice flat-screen TV that sat atop his entertainment center. Kyle walked ahead and sat down in front of it, opening the cabinets right below the TV to reveal tons of dvd's. Kyle skimmed through the dvd's as he heard Stan lightly coming down the stairs. Kyle kept looking as Stan went into the kitchen, he heard some beeping then the soft hum of the microwave. The smell of popcorn flooded to Kyle's nose. Kyle finally picked out a comedy-romance movie. They both needed comic relief, and Stan liked romance. He popped out the dvd and put it in Stan's dvd player.

Kyle stood up and went over to the long couch situated directly in front of the TV, he laid sideways a bit, pulling his legs up to him to make room for Stan. Stan popped his head around and asked Kyle 'Do you think it's chilly in here?' Kyle didn't realize he had huddled himself up because he _was_ cold. 'A little bit.' Kyle said. Stan left his sight for a minute or so.

Kyle just silently looked out the window: the house was dim inside, the snow had started falling, and it was dark outside now. Kyle watched the snow fall underneath the dim glow of the streetlamps. Stan returned with a blanket and a singe bowl of popcorn, handing the popcorn bowl to Kyle and plopping the blanket on the couch. He moved around the room to turn off all the lights close the blinds to the front windows, but left the backyard window blinds up, so they could watch the snow fall. 'Sorry, my parents were so grateful as to leave me to do all the dishes this weekend, so we have to share a bowl, the only clean one we had.'

'That's OK, dude.' Kyle said as he sat up. Stan grabbed the blanket and let it drop down straight in front of him before sitting down, draping the blanket over himself. Kyle sat there, still a little chilly. 'Oh, where are my manners?' Stan said as he threw one end of the blanket over to Kyle. It draped over over his head and covered his sight. Kyle pulled the blanket off his Jewish fro and looked back at Stan, who was just grinning back at him as he ate a piece of popcorn. 'I'll make sure to fart under here then do the same to you.' Kyle retorted.

Kyle pulled a part of the blanket over himself, but he didn't have as much blanket as he liked. He pushed his way further into the blanket as Stan lifted the remote to start the movie. The movies opening credits started playing music played as Kyle sat there in silence. He had just enough blanket to cover over his legs, but wanted more. If he wanted more, that meant scootching closer to Stan. Kyle glanced downwards and sideways a bit. He would just move in a bit more...He carefully put strength in his feet, he had to move just right. As he leaned over he accidentally put a little too much energy into his scoot and clumsily fell over against Stan's shoulders. 'Sorry!' Kyle said, Stan had spilled a few bits of popcorn on his lap. 'You better clean that up!' Stan said, mostly jokingly. Kyle's face immediately grew hot. What was Stan asking exactly?! To his relief Stan reached down and threw some popcorn to his dog Sparky, who was at the edge of the couch begging. The canine sat there hoping for more, but decided to give up and go upstairs to sleep.

Kyle sat on the couch, now shoulder to shoulder with Stan. Stan didn't seem to mind, as they both just watched the movie in silence. They warmed each other. Kyle felt safe, welcomed, and happy...The hot skin of Stan's arm against his felt almost...refreshing.

Kyle wasn't even really watching the movie. He was too happy, yet trying to hold in any feelings. But one thing was for sure, he loved the situation he was in, the dimness of the room, just him and Stan, alone, a few weeks before they both celebrated their different snow kept coming down outside, only seen by the moonlight and street lamps now. He didn't want anything but this. He'd never spent his time with his best friend like this. It didn't seem to be the 'normal' hangout. It was uinque,

Kyle grew a bit warmer by the minute, and he was beginning to get heavy eyed. Kyle tried fighting off his sleep, it was a long school week for the both of them, all this work hadn't left them much time to relax. After just a few minutes of thinking to himself, Kyle suddenly came to realize that Stan had fell asleep during the movi. His head was on the couch, and he was half slouched over, nearly about to fall on the pillow at one end. He tipped over and landed lightly on the pillow, breathing low.

Kyle watched him as his chest rose and fell slowly. Kyle struggled to keep his eyes open more then ever now, and went into a sort of half-dream like state. When he felt this way, sometimes Kyle had the 'screw it' attitude. He just wanted sleep. It almost seemed to him this was a dream, and he _was_ sleeping. He finally closed his eyes into sweet unconsciousness, tipping over slowly and landed directly behind Stan, his head laid on the pillow just behind him. It sure is convenient the couch is so spacious.

In his sleep, Kyle dreamed of Stan, nothing but Stan. He dreamed the two were holding hands, in a beautiful countryside. They seemed they had the strongest relationship in the world. As the two boys slept they also matched their breath perfectly at a slow, steady pace. Kyle felt like it was a dream he never wanted to wake up from. This seemed like all he wanted in the world...he just felt...happy. He subconsciously felt his heart beat in his dreams. He could also smell Stan's hair a bit in his sleep; clean, fresh, and foresty. Though he didn't know in his dream his subconscious awareness was right in front of him.

Kyle opened his eyes slowly. The house was so dark now. Kyle had to take a moment to adjust his eyes to the situation. The first bit of light he saw was the digital clock above Stan's TV. The clock read in big red numbers '1:03am.' He then realized, unsure if to be horrified or ecstatic, that there was a body mass in front of him. Stan continued breathing very lightly.

Kyle snapped to the realization that he had slept directly behind Stan, almost spooning him. Though he didn't have his arms around him, but thought he might have liked it... He took a moment to glance at the back of Stan's head, just gazing at his hair. He gazed blankly, not sure of what to think of. There seemed to be a thought Kyle didn't want to think of, yet knew what it was. But he couldn't think here, he needed quiet, where he could really, _really_ talk to himself.

Kyle blinked a few times in the night. He held his breath, slowly rising sideways while reaching his feet for the ground, grabbing the couch for support to make sure he didn't tip over again. He was thankful Stan hadn't woke up to this. He got up nearly silently except for the incredibly light sound made by his feet pressuring against the floor. He walked over across the soft carpet to front door. He grabbed his hat and coat off the coat rack and slipped them on, trying to remain quiet. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his green gloves, slipping the warm fabric over his fingers.

He went to the back of the house, opening the sliding door to be met with silence and a cold gust of air. He stepped outside onto the cold snow, hearing it crunch beneath his feet. He walked over to the old swingset him and Stan used to share all the time as children. He gazed down at it, remembering the memories he and Stan had shared together on the set. He sat down, looking at the empty seat next to his.

Stan had this swingset since Kyle could remember, all the way back to pre-school. Stan and Kyle had always swung on it when Kyle was over. Of course as they got older they would graduate to doing other things, but would still occasionally come outside to swing and talk about anything and everything.

The backyard was fenced in with wooden posts, the snow piling between the pointed crevices on top. Kyle was well away from the eyes of prying neighbors. All the lights in other houses Kyle saw, were out. He stretched his legs out in front of him, looking down into the snow. He then used pushed his feet against the ground, moving back along the swing and making the lightest creaking sound in the night.

The night was dark and quiet as the snowflakes fell down from the sky, lightly tapping Kyle's hat seemingly endlessly. Kyle raised his head to gaze up at the moon. It was time for him to think to himself, about what he had neglected to address until now. He knew they were always friends, but...while they had been just 'friends' for awhile, maybe the two were...it was so unlike Kyle to feel this way. Kyle lowered himself and closed his eyes and thought to himself in deep silence.

He allowed himself to address the facts. Kyle was attracted to Stan. His heartbeat increasing, his sudden self-conscious thoughts, and the fact he seemingly had to look at Stan all the time, they all added up to what he neglected to address. 'What friend really does that?' Kyle thought. Kyle reflected all the way back to pre-school, imagining the classroom in his mind. Children playing with one another as Kyle was at the coloring table, being picked on by a group of kids who thought his red hair was 'funny.' All the other kids had brown, black, or blonde hair, they all thought they were 'normal.' Kyle remembered he was about to cry...until his best friend, and hero shown up. He still remembered young, adorable Stan stepping in and telling the kids they were 'meanies' and shouldn't pick on Kyle.

Kyle grinned for a second, remembering that Stan and him were once adorable. Kyle had strong feelings towards Stan, he thanked him, looked up to him...loved him like a brother...but...Kyle squeezed his eyes tightly. 'I think...' he thought deeply. 'I love him now...more than ever.' Kyle admitted it in his mind. He couldn't stay away, he wanted nothing but to be with him. His best friend, from so many years ago, and still now. Kyle's heart took fluttery beats as he got his feelings out.

Kyle kept his eyes shut, letting himself soak in the feelings he just admitted. It was still quiet outside. Kyle didn't even notice the coldness, it didn't bother him, he was so deep in thought. He pressed his feet against the ground, stopping the creaking of the swing. Kyle thought about all the times he had spent with Stan. But he wasn't sure on one thing: since Stan dated Wendy...was Stan 'like that?' Was Kyle even...good enough? Kyle opened his eyes slowly and bent forward, hunching over his knees. He'd _NEVER_ felt this way about any other boy before. And here he was admitting he was basically bi-sexual.

Through his closed his eyes, Kyle could feel his eyes building up fluid. 'I...I do love him.' Kyle said in a whisper. 'I don't know if he likes me though.' Kyle didn't feel very manly, but he couldn't help it. His tears fell out his eyes, dropping silently into the ever piling snow below him. This heartache, was it a good thing? Was he crying out of joy, out of worry, out of sadness? Kyle couldn't tell. He raised his head and opened his eyes, looking into the dark sky as his tears trailed and sparkled down his cheeks, now red from the cold.

'Stan...' Kyle squeezed the cold metal chains. The Jewish boy continued to sit on the swing in the darkness. He thought of his emotions like this snow, it piles up and up. The more that's there, the more it's noticed. Kyle thought of his feelings like snow. 'This Christmas...even though I don't celebrate it' Kyle said as he looked towards the ground. 'I'll...I'll tell you the truth. I just hope this is a Christmas gift you'll accept.' He stared at the ground as the snowflakes fell endlessly.


	3. WT: Blue Warmth

_Authors note: For those of you who have stuck with my fan-fic long enough to reach this chapter, I greatly, GREATLY appreciate your views, reviews, and follows. Every view and any compliments/criticism really helps me as a writer. _

Chapter 3 - Blue Warmth

**POV: **Wendy Testaburger

Wendy Testaburger sat upon the cold bus seat as she rode to school. She sat alone, just gazing out the window at the foot of snow that fell a week earlier. It was the last Friday before Christmas break, and that meant just one more exam Wendy had to take. These last few weeks had been awful; students were loaded with homework. Unfortunately, her last exam was in a class she dreaded: woodshop. The class was full of boys, including Stan. She somehow randomly got assigned the class, and was the only girl to take it.

She looked at the seat ahead of her, seeing Butter's blonde tuft of hair poking above the seat and Craig's little yellow poof atop his blue hat. 'S-so then, I tried looking in Kyle's locker, but it was locked before I left school Friday. That kid always has his padlock on, his Jewish mind flares up whenever he thinks about losing something.' Butters let out a light chuckle. 'I was looking for my book but I couldn't find it. For our English exam, we have to not only take a long exam, but present a short book report too... I guess I'll have to make up an ending, considering those fellas stole it before I had the chance to finish it. I was only 30 pages away too.' Butters chattered. This was one thing Wendy didn't miss, Stan always picked on Butter's along with most of the kids. Though thankfully Butter's found a friendship opportunity with Craig, because he truly didn't care much about anything, he just made his own opinions.

'I thought you said you saw Stan with the book.' Craig said in his monotone voice. Wendy snapped her attention on what was being said in front of her. Wendy waited for any confirmation that Stan was bullying Butter's to flare up angrily. 'I did, and he almost always leaves his padlock unlocked at his locker, so I snuck a peek last week Friday after school, but didn't find it. I thought maybe since he was such good friends with Kyle, maybe he loaned it to him. That kid always seems to be reading.' 'What book though?' Wendy thought to herself. She remembered seeing Stan in the library once in awhile, reading deeply into a book. When she was still dating him, if she would go to see him while he was reading, he always tucked his book away into his backpack, acting like nothing was out of the ordinary. What exactly was he reading? Wendy wondered. It probably isn't anything too interesting, she cast her curiosity aside.

Wendy thought to herself for a bit. She remembered when she had broken up with Stan. She had told him to tell everyone their breakup was mutual. Why had she done that though? Really, Wendy was just bored of Stan. She felt guilty about being so self centered, but she felt she needed to maintain a good reputation. She already considered herself popular, and she liked it that way too. Wendy was jealous though, Stan was with his best friend all the time. Wendy grimaced at the thought of Stan dating another girl. Wendy had to win a date first before Stan, she hated losing. Stan always seemed to get queasy when Wendy liked him, but he isn't that way anymore. 'I thought he wasn't good enough for me...' Wendy returned her gaze back to the window as her school came into view.

The bus came to a halt outside by the sidewalk as the students stood up and walked to the front of the boss. She stopped by Ms. Crabtree to politely say 'Thank you.' 'GET OFF THE BUS!' she yelled back at Wendy. Wendy ignored this, she was always a cranky driver, but she's always been that way for as long as she remembered. Wendy stepped off the bus onto the sidewalk as she made her way up to school. She was all alone this morning, Bebe had been excused from her exam in advanced English for having good grades, but Wendy had a different class where she was good at but never quite excelled in: Woodshop.

Wendy stood there in the cold air for a moment. She took a deep breath. Christmas was coming up in less than a week. She felt a pang of sadness as she realized this would be her first Christmas without Stan. She missed the two of them underneath the Christmas tree. She thought of last Christmas, when they both sat crisscross in front of the fireplace, facing each other. Stan's parents were away that weekend, and he snuck Wendy over behind their parents backs, just for her. She recalled the sweet taste of hot chocolate on her tongue. They both cuddled on the couch in their pajamas. Wendy thought to herself 'Whatever, he was a loser anyway...' and quickly dismissed her thoughts and walked her way up to the school doors.

She made her way through the school halls and down towards shop class. At least it was less than a half-day for her, since she was excused from her second exam. The school had two exams each day, 2 hours each with an hour break in between to study. Wendy had passed all her classes with flying colors, all A's. Though she had an 88% total in woodshop, shy of an A-, which is what she needed to be excused from the exam in the first place. If she could pass the exam today, she could pull her grade up just enough to get an A. Her parents always had high expectations of her. She had gotten all A's for as long as she could remember, and wasn't about to lose today either.

Before she knew it Wendy entered gracefully into the woodshop classroom, the smell of sawdust and boys filled her nostrils. All the boys were sitting together up front and Wendy took it upon herself to sit at her usual spot, a small desk at the side of the room, with a stool to sit on. She was glad to have a 'haven' of sorts away from the boys. She only had to get up to chop wood on the sawblades, but she usually just came back and did everything else at her desk. She took her seat and frowned at the group of boys, happy and loud. They drove her nuts sometimes, sometimes occasionally nagging on her for being the only girl. Especially Cartman, that fatass never knew when to quit.

The class chattered on as Wendy pulled out a book on woodshop fundamentals. She skimmed through the pages with such grace and speed, skimming over the black words as quickly as she could. She wanted to digest as much as she could before her exam. She was determined to win.

A short minute later, Mr. Adler walked in with a cup of coffee. His wispy voice started over the noises of the boys. 'Alright everyone, today, you aren't going to have a written exam. Your exam grade will be based on your performance in the shop. Now since all of you have gotten astounding grades in this class, mostly being A's..' Wendy lowered her head a bit. She was one of very few who didn't have an A. The lowest in the class was a B-, she heard Clyde talking about how he only had the grade because he missed an assignment. Though surprisingly, Cartman somehow managed to pull off a nearly perfect A.

Mr Adler continued with his instructions 'All your materials are here in this room. Use what you've learned to make something amazing! 'Since you all have great grades, as long as you complete the project, and it's neat, and creative, you'll all pass the class and your grade won't drop. However, if you manage to make something absolutely incredible, you're grade may rise by just a few percentage points. And vice versa if you make something God awful. Your grade may lower a bit. Alright? Any questions?' Mr. Adler clapped his hands together and glanced around the room.

'Ok, have fun and don't screw around.' Mr Adler walked over to his desk and sat down, writing something. Wendy got up with a sigh and moved over to the supply boxes, full of various sized of wood for students to use. She stood in front of the box for a moment, pondering. What would she make? She took a few moments to think. She finally decided to make a simple, yet beautiful jewelry box with a key on it. Every girl needed a place where she could store small, important things.

She gathered her materials and looked around for an available sawblade station. This was her least favorite part of shop class, she had to use one of the always occupied workstations. She supplied herself with some work gloves, goggles, and some small wooden planks and blocks from the pile nearby. Now came the fun part, who was she going to have to work next to today?

She looked over the workstation in the front, which of course, was occupied by Stan, Kyle, and Kenny were all at standing together, talking with one another over the loud sound of the sawblade. Wendy couldn't make out what they were saying. Tweek, Craig, and Kevin were at the other. She then realized there was one station open, and there was only one person there. She swallowed hard as she realized she'd have to share the station with Cartman.

She silently made her way over to the station as she saw Cartman tracing a pencil down a piece of wood. He had several wooden pieces next to him, all different sorts of sizes and shapes. He must have been planning to make something big. She took a seat next to him, to be met with a questionable gaze from Cartman. 'Go ahead princess, I might be awhile.' Cartman said as he reached down to grab another wooden plank. Wendy furrowed her brows and began to use a pencil at the desk to draw straight lines down her few pieces of wood.

She put on her work gloves and goggles, looking over, to make sure Cartman had his too. He was already prepared. Wendy pressed the red button and the sawblade emerged, adding to the buzz in the room. She occasionally had sawdust fly up into her goggles. She worked as gracefully as she could. She made sure to push the wood slowly, so that it cut straight, neatly, and finely. When she was done she pressed the off switch, and the sawblade again went into it's hiding place. The room turned quiet again for a moment, until Stan and his friends moved over to one side of the room, plugging in some power drills and yet again sending noise throughout the room.

'Hey...hey Wendy...' Cartman whispered to Wendy. 'Oh God, here we go.' Wendy thought to herself: 'You're strong, don't take insults from fatass.' Wendy glared at Cartman, giving him a daring look to say anything offensive. Cartman seemed not to notice and chuckled. 'Hey..' he lifted up a long cylinder like piece of wood and placed it between his legs. It rose up past the station, it had to have been nearly two feet long. 'Look, I got wood!' Cartman laughed hysterically for nearly a minute before Mr. Adler spoke up. He didn't look up as he spoke, he was focused on a picture on his desk. 'Hey, quit screwin' round back there!' Wendy's face turned bright red as she turned her head the other way. 'In your dreams, fat boy.' she said venomously.

Wendy got up and walked over to her secluded table, luckily she could use a power drill here. There was a power outlet right next to her. She worked on her jewelry box in silence. She looked over at Cartman a few minutes later, noticing he was working on what seemed like a small chair, the kind young children sit on. She got up and dashed over to some cabinets, where she pulled out a piece of sandpaper. She went through all the motions to finish up her project. She worked with grace, making sure every movement was careful, precise, and neat.

Time flew by as she worked on her project. She finished nearly 20 minutes before the end of class. Her jewelry box was perfect, complete with a brass lock. The metal was brand new, there were no smears to degrade the look of it's value. Mr. Adler had a small stash of locks and keys he had whenever somebody wanted to make something with a lock on it. Her key fit in just right, and the box popped open as she twisted her key. She locked it, pulled the key out, and sure enough, it didn't close.

She was so proud. This was her assignment, she knew an A was in her grasp. She would be able to go home, present her perfect grades to her parents, and be praised. She was warmed at the fact she achieved yet another semester. She was really shining, she knew she had a bright future. Not everyone get's all A's throughout every semester at school.

Out of nowhere, Clyde and Token were goofing around next to Wendy's desk. The two were laughing and pushing one another. 'Watch it!' Wendy said, annoyed. The two boys stopped for a moment, gazed at Wendy, looked at each other, then walked away in silence. Just a moment later she saw someone approaching her. She glanced up to see the familiar blue hat and plain face of Craig. 'Hey Wendy...' Craig started in his deep voice. 'Hey...' she said a bit awkwardly, but keeping her composure. 'What did you make?' Craig asked. Wendy gave a light smile and held up the little jewelry box. 'Wow...you made this?' Craig mused. Wendy had to stifle a little laugh by faking a cough. Craig had always spoken in a monotone voice. Even when he asked questions most people would have a tone with, he always kept that same, plain voice of his.

'Yup, made it all by myself.' Wendy replied. Craig picked up her box, holding it gently with both hands. 'Careful!' Wendy said. Craig seemed to ignore her comment. 'Wow, does it have a lock too?' Craig continued studying the box. He reached over next to Wendy, picking up the key on the desk to open it up. 'You have it all polished inside too...it looks nice.' Wendy was grateful for the comment. 'Thanks...' Wendy said, perhaps a bit curious now. Craig had never seemed to be interested in her before. Why was he talking to her now?

Craig set down the jewelry box, avoiding Wendy's gaze as he walked back to join with Token and Clyde. Wendy watched after Craig for a moment. When she turned her eyes back, she noticed a strange look coming from Cartman. She couldn't tell if it was annoyance, anger, or even jealousy. 'Wait!' Wendy thought. She turned her body around, hiding her face as she acted like she was digging through her backpack for something. 'Was Craig FLIRTING with me just now?' Her face grew hot. She thought about how Craig had actually tried to sound interested in something.

Finally Mr. Adler spoke up, and announced the last 10 minutes of class would be for grading projects. He started up front. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny all got A's. He then approached Cartman, studying his chair and it's expert craftsmanship. Wendy couldn't help admit Cartman had some great ability at woodshop. His chair had amazing symmetry. Wendy thought of one word at his project: 'perfection'. Sure enough, Cartman received enough points to have his grade raised. Mr. Adler gave Cartman a warm gaze. 'Congratulations Eric, you have the highest grade in the class, I'm very proud of your work. You'll go places young man.' Cartman give a light smile, 'Thanks.' He said.

Finally Mr. Adler approached Wendy. 'Alright Wendy what do we have here?' he asked as he extended his hand. Wendy handed him the jewelry box, where he began to gaze over it, looking for detail. 'I also put a key-lock on it too.' Wendy added. She handed the metal key to Mr. Adler. He inserted the key inside the lock, and jewelry box opened flawlessly. 'Amazing craftsmanship, I can't see any errors!' Congratulations Wendy, you get an A- for the class.

Like that it was over. She did it. She had yet another semester of A's. She sighed with relief 'Thank you so much.' she said, taking the jewelry box back. 'Well everyone, Mr. Adler spoke as he walked up front by the classroom door.' Bell's going to ring in one minute, but i'll let you all go a little early, just promise me you'll stay quiet.' The boys looked at each other. Stan and Kyle grinned, and Kenny lightly pushed Kyle on the shoulder. They all got up and walked out. Mr. Adler said goodbyes to all his students and wished them a great winter vacation. Wendy made her way to the door, politely nodding and saying 'Thank you for being a great teacher.'

Out in the quiet hallway, she turned the opposite direction Stan was headed. Her locker was at the other end of the hallway. She opened her locker, stuffing her textbooks and anything else she didn't need inside. She grabbed her gym clothes and her notebooks and placed them into her backpack. Wendy was grateful that she could relax over winter break. She closed the locker door, feeling grateful that she wouldn't have to hear metal slamming for a few weeks. The day was at an end for her, she could go home soon. For some reason, she felt she hadn't accomplished something else. From where she as standing, she somehow found herself peering down the hallway, trying to find Stan.

The bell rang and the hallways erupted with students. Before it became too crowded, Wendy finally found Stan. He was laughing and talking to his usual group: Kyle and Kenny. Stan reached over and plucked Kyle's hat off his head, exposing his red Jewish fro. 'Hey!' Kyle said with playful annoyance. 'But sir...' Stan popped his hat off and put on Kyle's. He changed his voice to speak with a French accent 'This is simply the finest, most mahr-vuh-lus hat I've ever known!' She couldn't help but just watch the two. She was jealous of how he seemed to value his best friend more than her. Stan was laughing at the situation until he suddenly locked his eyes on Wendy. The other boys followed his gaze.

She broke away from his gaze and turned to head towards the front of the school. 'Merry Christmas...Stan.' Wendy was frustrated. She still cared for Stan, yet the truth was she was always a bit jealous of Kyle. Every time Wendy had dated Stan, he always talked about Kyle, how they had done so many things. He never seemed to compliment her on her good looks, and he always got a bit queasy when she was around him. She always felt bitter that he was around his best friend, especially how he always complimented and played with him more than her. Sure, her and Stan had wonderful, memorable times together, but something was just making her seem unforgivingly bitter towards him, and she couldn't figure out whether or not it was just Kyle.

She popped open the front school doors and stepped outside into the cold. She made her way down to a non snow covered step and sat down as she reached for her backpack. She pulled out her smartphone, placing a hand over top of it prevent the sun from glaring in her face. She used her thumb to text her mom saying she was ready to go home. Her mom replied about a minute later: 'OK, give me about 10 minutes.' Her parents didn't live too far from home, so luckily it was normally a short wait if she ever needed to go home. Wendy sat out in the cold, tightening her body to stay warmer.

Craig walked by her, down the steps. He walked a few steps past Wendy, then suddenly turned his head, realizing it was her. 'Merry Christmas Wendy.' Craig said in his plain voice. Craig was being so nice...and so...warm. He kept walking. 'Hey!' Wendy called after him.' He stopped in place and turned back. 'Merry Christmas, Craig... Oh, wait a minute!' Wendy shuffled through her backpack again, searching for a pencil and a notebook. She pulled both out and walked over to Craig.

'If you want to consider talking over break...' Wendy said as she scribbled on her notebook. She tore a corner piece of the paper out, handing it to Craig. 'Here's my number.' Craig looked back at her with his plain, expressionless face. Wendy returned a smile. 'Somebody's got to do something to get that bored look off you face.' she teased. Wendy gave a light chuckle. Craig gave her a smile, something he rarely ever did to anyone. He turned and walked away as Wendy stood there alone in the cold. Her racing heartbeat had raised her body temperature. 'What did I just do?' Wendy wondered as she watched the boy with the blue hat walk away.


	4. SM: Premonition

**_Author's note:_** _Hey everyone! I finally got Chapter 4 edited and published. I'm sorry I couldn't bring this sooner! This chapter is fairly shorter than the rest I've made so far, but it sure is engaging. :) Enjoy!_

Chapter 4 - Premonition

**POV:** Stan Marsh

Stan opened his eyes, still heavy with sleepiness. He felt cold and empty. It took him a moment to grasp his surroundings. He was laid out on his side, with his legs slightly bent towards his torso. He held his hands loosely just below his lips, feeling the light touch of his gloves tickling his chin. The ice cold snow beneath his cheek had numbed the side of his face. He could just barely see his breath in front of him. Wherever he was, it was dark, snowy, and more silent than he had ever experienced in his life.

The world felt lifeless. The only thing that made this odd place feel alive was the slight breeze of bitter cold wind, and the snow slowly drifting downwards toward the ground. There was no moon here. The only thing that provided any light was the snow. With each snowflake that fell, a light aura of color surrounded it, and it dissapeared when it touched the ground. Stan was fascinated by the beautiful nature. Every color fell around Stan as he laid there silently, absorbing the sight of the place he was in. He was uncaring of the cold or darkness. He felt at ease in this strange world, due to the amazing colors around him.

Stan finally brought himself to think 'Where am I though...?'. The moment he thought of this, he heard a distant sound, similar to the noise of rusty metal creaking. He listened closely for nearly a minute, but the sound didn't come again. He rolled over onto his stomach, reaching his hands in front of him, then crossing his arms to use as a cushion where he laid his chin to gaze forward. He pointed out the colors as they fell 'Gold...Purple...Blue...' As he identified the colors, he suddenly heard the sound again. It sounded as if it were coming from where he was facing, but at a distance.

The strange thing was, this sound was familiar to him. He knew it was metal creaking, but he'd heard this sound for a long time, yet he still couldn't picture what it was. He let out a deep sigh as he pressed against the ground, standing up slowly. His curiosity of what else could be in this world peaked his interest. The wind blew his black bangs from under his hat as he began his trek towards the sound.

The snow surrounded him as he made his way through the unknown. His boots crunched against the snow. 'Keep moving...' he thought to himself. He pressed on for what seemed like a minute. Suddenly, from as high as he could see, nothing but light green snowflakes began falling. He was surrounded by their green light. Ominously, the snow stopped suddenly. Stan darted his head downwards, watching the final wave of snow drifting down to ground. 'No, please don't leave me in the darkness!' Stan thought in a panic. The last few snowflakes landed, and dissapeared silently.

Before he could panic, a dim white light appeared several feet in front of him. He walked quickly towards the light, wishing to be out of this dark abyss now. As he approached, he realized the light was coming from an old fashioned street lamp, black and metal, with a glass barrier surrounding the light source. As he came a few feet from the lamp, another one to the right of it lit up brightly. The two lamps increased their brightness just enough to expose what was laying directly between them. Stan's question was answered as he gazed at what was revealed in front of him.

It was the swingset in his backyard. The same one him and Kyle had sat on so many times. A light breeze picked up, and swings moved, letting out faint creaking sounds. Stan wasn't drawn to the light anymore, he felt more comfort looking at the swingset. He approached, no fear in him now, only curiosity. He came up close to it, examining its details. It looked exactly the same as he remembered it. He took a red glove and lightly trailed his hand down the metal chain of one of the seats. He gripped it, and turned around to seat himself. He sat there pushing his feet against the ground, then would bend them to move slowly up and down.

'I wish I had Kyle here...' Stan thought. As soon as he finished his thought, green snowflakes rapidly fell in a spot just in front of him, a few feet away. Though as the snowflakes landed, they stayed lit. They piled and piled on top of each other so fast, stacking up in a hurry. Stan watched in awe as the snow formed the figure of a human. Suddenly, the snowflakes turned into the shape of Kyle, and it slowly adjusted to Kyle's features. In a few moments, in front of him was Kyle, illuminated in green light.

'Stan...' Kyle said. The Jewish boy wore his same green hat. 'Why did you want me here?' Stan looked up at him, taking a moment to think. 'I wanted my best friend here with me, look at this place, it's interesting, peaceful, quiet...but it's very-' 'Lonely?' Kyle said for him, grinning slightly. Kyle made his way to the other seat, sitting down gracefully and joining Stan. He began to lean back and forth, bending and stretching his feet to gain momentum to go higher and higher. Stan also joined him, and the two swung there in silence for about a minute. Stan loved the cold breeze in his face as he wooshed back and forth.

Abruptly Kyle created friction between his feet and the ground beneath him, kicking up snow as he came to a stop. He hunched over, his green hat flaps hiding his eyes from Stan's view. Stan slowed down his momentum, and looked over at his friend. He waited a moment for Kyle to say something. 'Kyle?' He inquired as he stood up, walking over to his friend. Kyle reached his hands up to his face, once again hiding it from Stan's view.

Between Kyle's fingers, red liquid slowly dripped out. The blood fell through the air, landing silently and painting the snow with it's dark color. 'Kyle?! Oh my God!' Stan said as he kneeled down to his friend. The street lamps turned off suddenly, leaving only Kyle's aura the remaining light in this world.

'Kyle?!' Stan asked in a panic. Shining energies pulled away from Kyle, taking away his color and transparency. In just a few seconds, Stan could see right through him. 'Kyle!' Stan asked urgently. He reached for his friends hands. Stan felt nothing but the air as his touch went through his friend. The Jewish boys figure finally dissapeared, leaving Stan in this darkness.

Stan bolted upright in his bed with a gasp and sweat trickling down his forehead. He panted, trying to calm himself down. 'It was just a dream...calm down.' Stan thought. 'Kyle is still alive, it was just a strange dream. Calm down...' He took long breaths, and his heartbeat finally steadied itself. He looked outside his window as the bright sun shone on the rest of the world. Stan was a bit relieved at the sight of the sun. The snow shined under it's bright light.

It had been 3 days since he had started winter break. There were only 4 days until Christmas. Stan longed to be with his best friend during winter break, regardless of their differences in holidays. Kyle's family had left the town immediately after Kyle got out of school exams to go and see Kyle's relatives before Hanukkah began. Stanley got up with a sigh and took care of his morning routine: A shower, brushing teeth, and putting on change of day clothes.

He walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, where his family were all together eating breakfast. Randy was reading the newspaper and holding a cup of coffee. 'Morning, son.' Randy said. 'Morning, everyone.' Stan said as he walked over to the fridge. He reached down to open the door and pulled out some orange juice. He prepared himself a glass as Randy started 'Oh yes, Stanley. The Broflovski's called. They said they think they left the back door unlocked. They have a spare key under the doormat, could you go over there after breakfast and lock it for them?'

Stan didn't feel annoyed at all from the task. 'Sure thing.' he said as he put the orange juice back the fridge, and walked over to the table to sit down with everyone else. Sharron had made a large platter for breakfast. French toast, eggs, and home fries. Stan sat there and ate in silence as Sharon got up to do the dishes, his father read his newspaper, and Shelly texted on her cell phone.

Shelly was in her final year of high school now. Since she had her braces off, she surprisingly became fairly popular. She was always texting, and her ringtone constantly went off during the daytime. It annoyed Stan at times, so he usually just listened to music with headphones when this happened. Shelly put her hand over her mouth and stifled a laugh. Stan raised an eyebrow at her as she continued looking at her phone, tapping the screen. Yet again she held in a burst of laughter. She looked up at Stan. 'What...?' he asked. 'My boyfriend says you're a turd.' 'Good for him, he's probably a hermaphrodite.'

He finished his breakfast and set his plate next to the sink, where his mother was still doing the dishes. 'Thanks mom, I'm off.' Stan walked to the front door, where he kicked on his shoes, put on his signature hat and gloves, and opened the door into the brightly lit day. It was warmer than usual today. Kid's were out in the yards, engaging each other in snowball fights, building snowmen, and setting up more Christmas decorations. All of the South Park suburbs were decorated. Christmas trees were seen through windows, reefs hung on doors, and lights lit up houses during the night.

Stan knew his way to the Broflovski's. He took the familiar 10 minute walk as he always had when going to see his friend. All but the Broflovski's had Christmas decorations. They instead mounted a big 'Happy Hanukkah!' sign above their front door. Stan arrived at the Broflovski's green house. The color reminded Stan about his dream with the green snowflakes, but he wanted to forget that dream. He made his way around to the back of the house, where he walked up to the back door. Inside, it was empty, the lights were off, and no noise was heard from the inside. He reached forward and grabbed the handle of the closed door, and attempted to open it. The door opened with a light swoosh. 'Yup, unlocked.' Stan said to himself.

Within less than a minute he had the door locked again, and replaced the key under the door mat. His pocket vibrated once, signalling he received a text message. He pulled it out as the screen lit '1 New Message.' Who could be texting him? He tapped the mail icon. 'From: Clyde.' Stan tapped the mail icon and loaded the message. 'Have a good Christmas.' it said. Stan just replied 'You too.' and put his phone back in his pocket.

Stan wished he had someone with him, romantically this Christmas. He truly did miss the days he shared with Wendy. But she had left a gaping hole in his heart, partly turning him off from the prospect of dating. Girls just didn't seem to interest him since he had a bad experience with the one he thought truly loved him. Stan blew off the thought.'Well, who needs romance when you have your best friend?' Stan thought positively.

Even though him and Kyle had different holidays they celebrated, they still made an effort to see each other at least during winter break. Though once in awhile they would see each other on their different celebratory days. Stan's pocket buzzed again. 'God, what now?' he pulled his phone out and tapped the mail icon, getting a bit annoyed. Though his annoyance quickly changed to joy as he saw this new message was from Kyle. 'We're headed back tonight, there's supposed to be heavy snow here tomorrow morning and we want to get home safely. Want to hang out tonight, probably around 8 or 9?'

Stan's spirits lifted. He would be able to see his best friend sooner than he had expected. He hugged his phone, then his face turned red with embarrassment. 'Sure. Let me know when you get home.' Stan replied. Who needed Wendy? Stan could have just as much fun with his best friend. On the way back, Stan thought of what the two might do tonight. Would they go to the mall, go eat at Whistlin' Willies, maybe catch a movie? Stan was excited at the thought of spending another day with his friend.

Stan got back on the sidewalk and headed home, lost in thought. It didn't even occur to him that emergency sirens were blaring behind him. Two police cars and an ambulance sped down the road next to Stan, quickly dissapearing after turning right onto another street. 'Wonder what's going on?' Stan wondered. The sirens eventually dissapeared into the distance. For some reason, Stan felt uneasy. His dream about Kyle bleeding and dissapearing had him worried now. His heart sunk at the thought of anything happening to his friend. 'No...Kyle hasn't left his relatives yet.' Stan reasoned with himself. He shook his head to clear his mind.

Through all of this, Stan felt a strange feeling inside of him. He couldn't tell if it was a feeling of worry, longing, both, or even something else. For some reason, Stan just had a feeling that something bad might happen. A cold breeze picked up, waving Stan's black locks in the air. He cranked his head to take one last look at the Broflovski residence, and stared at it for a few moments. 'Kyle...' Stan thought as he turned away and continued heading home.


	5. CT: First Date

**_Authors_ Note:** _Well everyone, chapter 5 is finally here! I've had nearly 500 views on this story and am so grateful to have so many people view my artwork. So far I've gotten positive reviews and a few PM's. I really appreciate any feedback I receive, it helps me become motivated to keep writing. So far I've enjoyed this story and I'm looking forward to having more people follow and favorite. I couldn't write a story if there wasn't an audience, so I really appreciate everyone who's stuck with this story up until now. Sorry this story has came so late, I recently went on a surprise vacation. :) My vacation has cleared my head and I'm expecting new chapters to be published every 1 - 3 days. So stay tuned! :D_

Chapter 5 – First Date

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Holiday music played throughout the South Park mall. Christmas was only 4 days away, resulting in the mall being busier than usual. Several couples and families were dashing in and out of stores, shopping and buying gifts for their loved ones. The mall was decorated, similar to the rest of town. Craig sat alone on a bench just inside the mall entrance, staring down at his phone as people walked by him. 'Where is she...?' he wondered to himself.

Two days ago Craig had worked up enough nerve to call Wendy. He was in his bedroom, lying back on his bed. He was overwhelmed by boredom. Craig had nothing else to do but sit at home with Stripes, his guinea pig. Unfortunately, even the furry rodents company didn't seem enough for him. 'Curse my apathy!' he thought to himself. He had pulled out his phone and the piece of scrap paper with Wendy's number on it.

He held both up, staring at them each for a second. Overlapping his boredom was nervousness. If Wendy picked up and they agreed on arrangements to meet, this would be Craig's first time hanging out with another girl on his own. Girls never seemed to take much interest in Craig. Even if they did, Craig never took the time to notice.

Craig had typed in her number, staring at it for a moment and holding his thumb over the call button. Reluctantly, he pressed it, his nervousness rising by the second. He pulled the phone up to his ear as it rang, resting his other arm across his body. Craig subconsciously hoped she wouldn't pick up. It seemed to ring for a minute when (somewhat to his dismay) the ringing suddenly stopped as he heard Wendy's voice on the other end: 'Hello?' Craig took a quick breath and began speaking in his monotone voice: 'Hey Wendy...it's Craig. I was wondering if you wanted to do something together?'

'Oh hey, Craig!' Wendy replied. 'I really would like do something with you but I'm afraid I still have some shopping to do for my family. I wouldn't want to bore you with shopping.' Craig knew he could back out now, but he forced himself to try a little harder. 'I could always go with you, I have to shop for my family too.' Craig bit his bottom lip in anticipation, as if expecting he was going to be turned down. There was a brief silence, making Craig's heart sink for a moment. Finally, Wendy spoke: 'Sure. We can do that! When did you want to go?'

'We can go tonight, if you'd like to.' Craig offered, relieved. Wendy said 'Hold on a second...' Craig sat on the phone, his nervousness rising yet again as he wondered if Wendy might be trying to find an excuse. 'Sure, I'll meet you there around 7 tonight.' Craig let out a heavy, silent breath. He curled a nervous smile as he spoke: 'OK..I'll see you there. I'll be right inside the main entrance on the bench!' Craig held his cell phone out, pressing the end call button then letting his phone plummet to his chest. 'Would this be considered a date?' he wondered to himself.

He always held the 'I don't care' attitude. He thought his apathy could never work when romance would be involved. He didn't know what dating was like, or even how to act when around other girls. He hopped off his bed and walked into the bathroom, where he studied his face and clothes in the mirror. He was in black sweat pants and a baggy dark blue T-shirt. His black hair was a mess. He surely needed to freshen up. 'Well, better get ready...' Craig thought to himself, meeting his eyes in the mirror. In just over half an hour at he had gotten ready in his blue hat, blue coat, and black skinny jeans.

Now here sat Craig, staring blankly at his phone. He was still trying to figure out whether or not this was an actual 'date.' 'Come on...stay calm.' Craig repeated to himself over and over. His neck and back felt stiff from leaning back, staring at his phone. He tried sitting a few different ways. He tried adjusting his legs, crossing his arms, leaning back and sitting up straight. He was attempting to find a good position to present to Wendy. He supposed he would have to look a bit different. 'You know what...' Craig thought to himself. 'Screw it, if she doesn't like me the way I am, too freaking bad.'

He gave up his endeavor and went back to sitting the way he was earlier. He rapidly tapped buttons on his phone, as if to look like he was texting someone. On the home screen, the time read 6:58 P.M. 'Any second now...' Craig thought. He could feel himself getting a bit warmer. He'd never been this way before. Now that he had an actual date he didn't want it to go horribly wrong.

'Hey.' said Wendy's voice. Craig jumped a little bit, startled at the surprise. He lifted his head to gaze up at Wendy, her vibrant eyes shining back at him. She was wearing a designer coat and a purple scarf. 'Are you ready?' she prompted, seeming not to notice his jump. 'Yeah...' Craig said as he stood up and tucked his phone in his pocket.

The two made their way into the deeper part of the mall, glancing in and out of shops. Craig made small talk along the way, trying to spark up a good conversation. Craig was searching desperately for a store they could both browse in. He gazed over at the food court for a moment. He decided he would ask Wendy later if she would like to eat.

Craig fixated his eyes on a bath and body store. It would at least be a place to attempt to shop for his mother. 'Hey, would you like to go in there?' Craig asked casually, pointing over at the shop. Wendy glanced over, looking through the glass displays, studying the interior of the shop. 'Sure, that sounds great.' Wendy said with a smile as the two turned in unison towards the entrance.

The two made their way into the shop, where they walked around through countless isles, looking at several different products. Craig didn't have a lot to spend, so he had to budget his money. He didn't have a job, so he saved some of his birthday money in order to buy each of his family a gift or two. He had to find something for his mother, father, and sister. Hopefully he could get his shopping done so he and Wendy could have alone time later.

Craig tried to evaluate his time with Wendy so far. The two were chatting casually, but things didn't seem awkward. There were no hints at romance from Wendy, the two had seemed more like friends. Craig was just glad he was finally able to hang out with another girl for once in his life. He was sure he'd sink into the 'dating' prospect later on, he just had to hit the right keys.

They both worked their ways down the isles. Wendy had stopped when she came across some candles. Wendy and Craig both reached for the shelves, lifting the glass lids off, smelling and sampling the different aromas individually. The store radio went quiet for a moment, when a new Christmas song began playing. Craig opened up a candle that had the scent of cinnamon apple pie. 'Hey, do you think this smells good?' Craig asked Wendy. He wanted some sort of engagement with Wendy besides small talk. She leaned over and took a light sniff. 'That smells really good, actually!' she said. 'I'm sure your mom would like that!' Luckily the candle was only six dollars, something not too expensive, but nice.

Suddenly, Craig felt a finger tapping him on the shoulder. He turned around instantly, being met with the chubby, brown haired boy Cartman. 'Cartman...Hi.' Craig said plainly. Wendy turned around from a candle she was sniffing. 'Hey...' she said, surprised at his presence. 'I take it you guys are shopping for Christmas gifts?' Cartman mused. 'I came to look at candles too. My mom likes to have candles when she does her 'business.'

Craig felt sorry for Cartman in a few ways. His mother was a mess. She had been arrested for prostitution, drug abuse, and many other things. Cartman never really had a mother to teach him right from wrong. Craig guessed that was why he was so messed up sometimes. Cartman started again: 'Mind if I shop a bit with you guys?' Wendy met Cartman with a glare, then glanced at Craig. 'Actually, we were just leaving.' Cartman returned a blank gaze to Wendy. Craig was still holding his candle as Wendy grabbed his hand. 'Come on, Craig. Let's go.'

'Wait a minute!' Cartman called out. Wendy kept walking. 'I have something to tell you! It's about Stan!' Wendy froze in her place, then turning around with Craig. Cartman walked up to Wendy, then gazed at Craig for a moment. Craig's face was a bit red as he realized Wendy was still holding his hand. Finally Cartman broke his gaze and looked at Wendy. Before he could speak, Craig interrupted him. 'I'm going to buy this.' he said, holding up his candle. I'll go up front and meet you outside the shop, OK?' Wendy nodded lightly to Craig and they released their grips on one another.

Craig walked to the end of the isle and turned right. He wasn't headed up front to check out. He was curious what was going on with Stan. He wanted to know if Stan was apologizing and if Wendy wanted him back. Stan and Wendy had seemed so close for a long time, it wouldn't be doubtless they would get back together. Craig snuck down the adjacent isle, where he listened in on their conversation, a bit late.

'So? They are best friends. What's the problem?' Wendy asked, a bit annoyed. He heard Cartman's voice: 'Well, Kenny has said that he noticed Kyle seems rather...close with Stan lately. He's always watching him and talking about him when Stan isn't around.' There was a pause. 'What are you playing at?' Wendy asked, clearly more annoyed. 'Wendy...I know this may be hard for you to believe...' Cartman took a brief pause. 'But...' Craig's eyes widened, what was Cartman about to say?

'I think the Jewish boy may be a tad...homo.' There was a heavy silence except for the Christmas music still playing. 'Kyle?' Wendy asked. 'Those two are just good friends! And besides, even if Kyle DID like Stan, there's no way Stan would be attracted to him. Stan was always manly when I was dating him, I doubt he'd like any other guy.' Craig couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was Cartman really trying to say Stan was gay? Or was he just out to get the Jewish boy? 'You know what...' Wendy said. Craig heard her hands slap against her legs. 'I think you're full of shit and just trying to start a problem.'

'Well actually, I only overheard this from Kenny. Who knows who else Kenny has told though...' Wendy huffed and walked away from Cartman. Craig heard her voice travel away from him. 'Fuck off Cartman.' she said as she walked up front. Craig realized he had to move fast. He didn't want Wendy to know he was eavesdropping. He dashed down the isle, fast walking, praying he wouldn't come across Wendy.

He made his way up front and got in line, where the cashier was swarmed with customers. Luckily,Craig could use the excuse they were busy so he wasn't able to check out yet. Not even a minute later, Craig saw Wendy out of the corner of his eye, and turned his head towards her. She was walking with a straight face, yet she had been cheery all evening. 'Everything OK?' Craig asked. Wendy seemed annoyed, but Craig could tell she was trying to hide it with a fake smile. 'Cartman was just being stupid.' she complained halfheartedly. She studied the line in front of Craig. 'I guess you weren't able to check out yet.' Craig was so thankful he had gotten away with eavesdropping. He realized with horror that if Wendy had found out there very well could be no second date.

The two shopped for another hour, then grabbed a quick meal at the food court. In what seemed like an instant, the date was over for Craig. Him and Wendy were walking back towards the entrance, carrying heavy shopping bags. They both had accomplished all their Christmas shopping. As they neared the entrance, they passed by a cotton candy cart, where an elderly man standing behind it called out to the both of them. 'Hey kids, do you want some free cotton candy? I only have two left, go on and take both.' Craig and Wendy both accepted the offer. They both took a bite of their colorful cotton candy, the sweetness filled Craig's mouth.

As they reached the front doors Craig could see, unsurprisingly, that it was snowing yet again. Him and Wendy walked through the automatic doors, being met with a cold gust of wind. Wendy's black hair flew across her face, she held up a hand to keep it back.'I had a really great time tonight.' Wendy told Craig as they both reached the sidewalk. Craig returned a smile. 'Me too.' he told her. 'It's nice to see you smile. And I don't mind your monotone voice.' Wendy grinned.

'My dad should be here any minute...' Wendy told him. 'Do you have a ride home?' 'Yeah...' Craig lied. He was just going to walk home after Wendy left. He didn't want to ask his parents for a ride, they'd probably just complain and cuss. Wendy gazed out at the nearly empty parking lot. 'You know...' Wendy started. Craig locked his eyes on her. She wouldn't meet his gaze. She looked up with glimmering eyes and red cheeks. 'I think...I want to hang out with you more..' if that's OK.

Craig had never felt more love struck in his life. 'Well,uh,err, OK, fine!...I mean...Sure...I mean...' Craig's mouth was silenced by Wendy's finger against his lips. 'Merry Christmas...Craig.' Wendy leaned in, pecking Craig lightly on the cheek. He could tell his face was red. He just returned a smile to Wendy.

'Oh, here comes my dad!' Wendy pointed at a car pulling in at the far end of the parking lot. 'Feel free to give me a call when you get bored!' she offered him. '...T-thanks.' Craig stuttered. They stood in silence as her fathers car drove up to the sidewalk. 'Well, see you later!' Wendy said. Before she reached the car door Craig felt words rise in his throat. 'Hey Wendy!' she stopped and looked back at Craig. 'Merry Christmas...' he let out.

Wendy gave Craig a smile and opened the door to her dads car, gracefully hopping in. Craig couldn't believe it, he just had his first kiss. As the car left the parking lot, the blue hatted boy stood there in the snowstorm. He trailed his fingers along his cheek where he had been kissed. Craig turned and walked home into the dark, cold night. He was never happy, but maybe he had finally found a cure.


	6. KB: Rise and Fall

**_Author's_**** Note:** _Hey everyone! Chapter 6 is here! I'm so glad that I've written a story that may be enjoyed by others. I'm looking forward to typing out what happens next. If you'd consider it, please let me know if you liked this chapter. Any reviews/favorites/follows/views all give me inspiration to keep on writing. I hope you all enjoy! :)_

Chapter 6 – Rise and Fall

**POV:** Kyle Broflovski

'You see Stan...the truth is...I'm in love with you.' Kyle said as he sat on his bed. He was making eye contact with his friend. 'No,no,nononono!' Kenny McCormick replied. 'Dude, you can't get too dramatic about this whole thing.' A simple 'I like you' is good enough.' Kyle crunched his lip to the side. 'Come on, you two were friends since pre-school. I highly doubt just because he knows you like him that he'll ditch you for the rest of his life.' Kenny reached around the scratch the back of his messy blond hair.

'Well then how am I supposed to do this then?' Kyle asked, getting frustrated.'I keep thinking about how it would feel to tell him. I mean, sure, it'd be a weight off my chest. But his reaction is what I'm worried about. I'm with you in thinking he wouldn't ditch me right after I tell him..I'm just worried it might get awkward...then we'll grow apart.' Kyle looked down at the carpeted floor.

Last night Kyle had arrived home from visiting his relatives. It was about nine at night when he had arrived. He made his way up to his room, where he had texted Stan: 'Dude, are you still up?' Kyle waited about ten minutes, lying back in his bed with hopeful anticipation. After what seemed like years to him, Kyle's phone finally vibrated. He opened the new message, hoping it wasn't too late for Stan to hang out. 'Sure, do you want to come over?' Stan had asked him. 'Do you want to just go to Stark's pond instead? It's closer to my house and we can just hang out and relax without adults breathing down our necks.' This idea clearly appealed to Stan, since he replied 'Sure, we can do that! Meet you there in 10!'

Kyle had jumped out of his bed, quickly combing his red Jewish fro and putting on his signature green hat. He walked downstairs quietly and grabbed his orange coat off the rack, and made his way into the cold night. He trudged through the snow, eventually arriving at Stark's pond. No one was around as far as he could tell. The only light was the moonlight illuminating the ice, making it sparkle a bit. 'Hey Kyle!' Stan had said as he approached from the shadows.

Kyle and Stan did nothing but talk all night. Stan had talked about his crazy family as usual, and Kyle had talked about his strict family. Kyle had kept his emotions as neutral as possible. He felt that he would wait for Stan to show any signs of liking towards him. He wanted to suppress his emotions and analyze Stan to see if there was any chance the red poof ball hatted boy might like him. They had talked until the moon was high in the sky. It was then that Stan yawned, putting a hand over his mouth. It was probably around midnight.

'Well dude, I should probably head back. My parents get really mad when I come home really late at night. They have the ears of a...well, whatever has good ears I guess.' Stan stood up from the bench. Kyle did the same, and they headed down opposite paths at the pond back towards their homes. 'See you soon!' Stan called to Kyle. Kyle gave a friendly wave and dissapeared into the shadows.

Today he had called Kenny, inviting the blond haired boy over to ask for advice. Kenny had been with many girls. For some reason, the boy who always hid his face had more relationships than anyone else Kyle knew. He figured Kenny would be a good, friendly person to ask. He sure was popular, he should know more about dating than anyone else.

'Don't lose your mind now.' Kenny said, tapping Kyle on the forehead with his index and middle finger. 'I'm not losing my mind.' Kyle said firmly. 'I just...I just don't know what to do.' There was a moment of awkward silence. 'Well...' Kenny started up. 'Let me ask you this, even if you don't know, if you absolutely had to guess, what do you think Stan thinks of you right now?' Kyle took a moment to think at this question.

'Well...I mean sometimes it's hard to tell with Stan. Sometimes he seems like Craig, he doesn't express a lot of emotion. But if I really, really had to guess...' the Jewish boy took a quick breath. 'I think he thinks of me as the most important person in the world. I know we're best friends.' Kenny seemed glad that his friend saw some good in Stan. 'Well, then I highly doubt that if you are the most important person to him, he'd just cast you aside. You're over thinking this, Kyle. Now I won't give you false hopes, but regardless, I bet he's still going to be your best friend too. You can love him as a best friend too, can't you?' Kyle took a moment to digest what Kenny had told him. 'You're right, Ken. You know...you're the first person I told that I'm bisexual.'

'I had an idea you might have been.' Kenny said. 'I can tell after being hit on by so many girls, seeing their faces and body language. I saw how you looked and handled yourself around Stan. My suspicions were only confirmed by you admitting it to me. But hey, we're still friends too. You're still a good friend of mine, regardless if you're gay or not.' Kyle grinned a bit at his friend. 'Thanks, dude.' He said.

'Now...where should I ask him to meet? Or should I surprise him?' Kyle inquired. 'Well...' Kenny had looked out the window into the the brightly lit day, sunlight shining against his blond hair, making it seem golden. 'How about you meet somewhere familiar, and someplace that could be potentially romantic. Perhaps a place with a lot of memories. Though I will say, if you think he'd be OK with it, showing up at his house Christmas night might be a great idea.' That idea didn't appeal much to Kyle. 'No...I'm sure there's another place we can go. I bet he'd want to meet somewhere outside his own home, his parents have always been picky about who comes over. I wouldn't want to get him in trouble...But maybe...' Kyle took a moment, rubbing his hand underneath his chin.

Kyle's thinking was interrupted by a rapid knocking on his door. 'Come in.' Kyle called. Sheila had walked in, Gerald too. Kyle found this unusual, why would both of his parents come in? Gerald was the first to speak 'Kyle, we have some things to discuss. Sorry Kenny.' His father made eye contact with the blond. 'I hate to ask you this, but we need to speak with our son, would it be OK if we let you two hang out tomorrow?' Kenny kept his cool. 'No problem man.' he said, rising off Kyle's bed and walking over to his bedroom door. 'See you Kyle, thanks Broflovski's!' he said as he dissapeared outside of Kyle's room. Sheila closed the door.

'Kyle, hun...we need to talk.' Kyle couldn't imagine what had happened. Had someone in the family died? Did Kyle do something wrong? Sheila and Gerald came over to Kyle's bed, sitting down on either side of him. Their faces looked somber. This instantly gave Kyle the impression whatever it was, it was bad news. They sat for a moment, Gerald took a deep breath, and Sheila had her hands held together as she gazed at the floor.

'Kyle...' Gerald began. 'I know South Park is our home. We've all met some great people here and we've made memories with those friends and families. Son...' Gerald put his hand on Kyle's shoulder, the Jewish boy looked into his fathers eyes. 'We're going to be moving...far away.' Kyle's heart sunk, his whole positive feeling plummeted. It felt to him like he was punched in the gut several times.

Kyle finally found words through his shock. 'But...I have friends here...' Kyle started. He thought about all the people he had met. Craig, Wendy, Cartman...he listed off names rapidly, ending with the most important person to him of all time: Stan. 'Why are we moving?' Kyle asked, trying to keep his cool. 'Well, son.' Sheila started. 'You see...your father has gotten a high paying law job in Sweden. We didn't think it was an easy decision, but with your father making more money he can support us better.' Kyle felt some light anger rising.

'What's wrong with living here?! Are we just going to ditch everyone we care about because of money?!' Kyle stood up and turned around, facing his parents. He could feel the tears welling in his eyes as he spoke. 'Nearly everything I care about is here!' The Jewish boy clenched his fists, and turned his back to his parents. 'Now, Kyle. It'll be OK.' Gerald tried to comfort him.

Kyle's anger hit a high note. He erupted. 'NO! IT'S NOT GOING TO BE OK! ALL YOU THINK ABOUT IS YOURSELVES ALL THE TIME! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ME AND YOU CERTAINLY DON'T CARE ABOUT MY FEELINGS!' Kyle then bolted out of his room and rushed down the stairs, his parents calling after him. He ignored their calls. Tears were streaming down his face now.

He thought he may have had a chance, a real relationship with the one he loved. He couldn't stay, no matter how much he wanted to. If his parents wanted to move, he was still their child, and a minor. He couldn't stay here even if he had a million dollars, his parents had control. He slipped on his shoes and jacket, forgetting his hat he had left upstairs. He threw open the door and ran out into the cold afternoon weather.

He walked around aimlessly once he was out of sight of his home. He wasn't sure where he wanted to go. His mind was so full of rapidly changing emotions he couldn't get a grip on anything. He couldn't tell if his situation was real or a dream. Everything just came crashing down so fast he wasn't sure how to handle his emotions. His tears on his cheeks seemed to freeze. He reached up to his face, brushing his hand to rub off light specs of frozen water.

He had finally decided to head to Stark's pond. It was his favorite place to go to get away from everything. It was quiet, and while it used to be a place for all the kids of South Park to go ice skating, they all grew older every day. Eventually, skating at Stark's pond became little more than re-living a memory.

Within a few minutes, Kyle had arrived at Stark's pond. He found the wooden bench situated directly in front of the frozen water. He plopped down, sighing and looking at the gray sky. He just couldn't come to grasp the situation. Nothing seemed realistic to him anymore. In this very moment, he questioned everything he had witnessed in his life. Maybe this was all just a bad dream.

Maybe Stan wasn't real. Maybe Kyle would wake up and realize that this was nothing more than his imagination. He hunched forward pinched himself on the arm, harder and harder. The pain increased, but he felt maybe if he kept on, he would wake up. He stopped when blood welled up at the end of his fingernails. He had cut himself a little bit. He pulled his arm up to lick the wound.

Kyle witnessing the red blood was the only thing that assured him this wasn't a dream. He knew that meant what his parents said were real. They weren't illusions, they were really his parents. Kyle was going to be moving away from South Park. He was going to live in Sweden, far away from Stan. He couldn't call his friend from another country, it was too expensive and his parents would never want to pay for it.

Stan told him last night his laptop had recently broke because Shelly got angry and threw it against the fence outside. Kyle couldn't talk to Stan on the computer either. He also didn't have enough money to replace it. Nothing seemed to be going Kyle's way.

He thought Stan would probably move on and forget him. His heart felt broken already. Everything that had piled up about his feelings was now coming back at him. If he had only told Stan sooner, maybe they would have fallen in love then. But with time so short, surely Stan wouldn't want to do a long distance relationship. He had even told Kyle one time he didn't know if he would want to date Wendy if she lived so far away.

Kyle was furious. Why did this have to happen to him? He cursed his God. He cursed his parents and the world. Anything and mostly everything to him was going to be taken away. He'd never see his friends again. He'd even miss Cartman. Sure, he always nagged on him for being a Jew, but that was a memory Kyle would never forget. He always loved responding 'Hey Fatass!' whenever Cartman made a remark about his religion.

The day after tomorrow would be Christmas. Kyle just stared up at the sky, still trying not to be in disbelief. 'Stan...' he mumbled his name. The Jewish boy got up and walked away from Stark's pond. 'I know what I have to do...' Kyle said.

He walked across town. Along the way he pulled out his phone to find 2 voicemails and 5 texts from his parents. Kyle ignored the texts and continued walking. He didn't want to talk to his parents right now.

If there was one thing he had to do, he needed to tell Stan his feelings on Christmas no matter what. In about twenty minutes he arrived at the run down home that was Kenny's. He knocked on the door, where Carol answered. 'Hi, Kyle. You looking for Kenny? He's out back.' she said in her light voice. 'Thanks.' Kyle said. He made his way around to the back of Kenny's house, where he opened the run down picket fence door.

Kenny's backyard looked like a dump. The fence wood was old, the lawn was untidy and choppy. There were plants, rubble, and trash everywhere. It was out here he found Kenny sitting on the run-down swing-set, chains rusty and wood seemingly old and almost rotten.

'Hey, Ken!' Kyle greeted him. Kenny looked at Kyle, surprised he came over so quick. 'Hey Kyle...not to be a douchebag, but I thought we were hanging out tomorrow?' Kyle took the swing seat next to Kenny. 'Look dude...' Kyle looked at the ground. He debated whether or not to tell Kenny he was moving away. He decided not to just yet. 'I need your help.' Kyle asked.

'Help? With what?' Kenny asked, raising an eyebrow. Kyle looked over at Kenny. 'You're popular...I'm sure you know some secrets. Is there any way to get into the school you know of?' Kenny thought for a moment. 'Well...there was one time I hung out with Bebe. You can get in through the boiler room, there's an emergency exit hatch near the dumpster behind the school.' Kyle marked the location in his mind.

'I do have to ask though Kyle, what happened?' Kenny asked, wondering what his Jewish friend was up to. 'I made up my mind about something.' Kyle replied. Kenny acknowledged Kyle didn't want to talk about it and remained quiet. 'Kyle.' Kenny said, reaching his hand out and putting it on his shoulder. 'Let me tell you something.'

'What?' Kyle asked. He was worried Kenny was going to lecture him when the blonde stood up and ruffled Kyle's hair with both hands. Staaaan and Kyyleeee!' Kenny teased. Kyle was surprised by the gesture. 'Hey!' Kyle said, pushing Kenny's hands away. Kenny stood back, a bit baffled. 'That's MY Jew fro.' Kyle said, grinning. He stood up, lightly pushing Kenny on the shoulder. 'Sittin' in a treeee!' Kenny went on. Kyle cupped his hand around Kenny's mouth. ' .'

'Mrfmfrmf.' he heard Kenny muffle. Kyle released his hand when he had finished. 'I'll see you later, Ken.' Kyle said. 'Same here man, good luck!' Kenny called after him as he left Kenny's backyard. The sky was growing dark, there would likely be yet another snowstorm tonight. Kyle's pocket vibrated and he pulled out his phone. He had received a text from Sheila, it read: 'Kyle? Please come home so we can talk.' Kyle sighed and slipped his phone back in his pocket. 'Yeah...I'll go home, and I'll '_talk' to them. _Kyle realized he'd have to get past his anger. He would have to live with his parents and brother until he was old enough to be on his own. Kyle tucked his hands in his pocket and continued home.

Tomorrow was a special day for his family. He didn't want to spend it angry with them. Hanukkah was a time-honored tradition for the Hebrew people, and Kyle was glad to be of his faith. Though Kyle realized though, once tomorrow was over...the truth would be told. 'Stan...' Kyle thought as he walked home. He pictured his friend in his red poof ball hat, smiling. He remembered the night he fell asleep behind him, his soft breathing, his hair, his touch. Thinking of all of this made Kyle warm inside, even on this cold day. He continued onward, hoping for the best everything would be OK.

'I'll keep my promise...'


	7. WT: Tears, and Blood

**_Author's_**** Note:** _Hey everyone! I'm glad to finally bring you all yet another chapter in my very first FanFiction. I'm so glad I've finally written something that I've agreed to keep on with until the end. I want to take a quick moment to thank all the reviews/favs/follows I've gotten. It really means a lot to me to know other people like my work. It gives me inspiration to keep on writing. I also really appreciate anyone who takes the time to view and stick with my story. Feel free to PM me if you would ever like to talk, share ideas, do some requests, or have any questions. Also, I may have mentioned in a previous A/N that there was a scene I really wanted to type out. I'm glad to say the scene is very very close. The next chapter I'll have it typed out :). Hope you all enjoy! :D_

Chapter 7 - Tears, and Blood

**POV: **Wendy Testaburger

Wendy Testaburger splashed her face with cool water from the bathroom sink. The splash of water on her face was enough to make her feel alert and refreshed. She reached across the bathroom counter for a washcloth. She used it to dab her clear face dry as she stood up to look at herself.

She had a white towel on her head, drying out her black hair after a hot shower. Wendy was in a dark purple bathrobe, wearing nothing but undergarments underneath. She reached behind her head to undo the towel around her hair. She let her silky black hair fall down her back. Wendy reached for a nearby hairbrush. She looked at herself in the mirror as she ran the soft brush through her hair, letting her mind wander a bit.

It was Christmas Eve night. Wendy hadn't seen Craig since their short date at the mall a few days ago. Wendy wished that Craig was with her to keep her company tonight. Memories filled her mind as she reflected back to a year ago on the last Christmas Eve she had with Stan. She closed her eyes, thinking of better days.

She remembered sitting in her spacious living room in front of the fireplace, and the warmth it emitted onto them. The flames had flickered against their faces, casting a shadow across the other half. The two sat next to the roasting fire, drinking cocoa and exchanging presents. Wendy was lucky she had been allowed to spend time with Stan. Since they had been dating for a few years, Stan's parents gave him permission to see Wendy on the condition he was home by ten.

Wendy had been so lucky to spend a holiday evening with the one she loved. She secretly longed for something similar to what she shared with him. She also remembered what Stan had gotten her as a gift that year. She wasn't sure if she felt warmth or regret as she picture the experience.

The warmth of the fire touched Stan and Wendy as they sat across from one another, cups of cocoa in their hands as they sipped and chatted about whatever came to mind. They had both sat there for nearly an hour, just relaxing and enjoying alone time with one another. During the winter the sky was dark earlier in the day, and Wendy's parents were out doing some last minute shopping at the local Wal-Mart. 'Are you ready for your gift?' Wendy asked Stan. He nodded and they sat their beverages aside on the marble tile in front of the fireplace.

Stan had pulled out a small black box, handing it to Wendy as she gave him his. She had gotten him a collectors edition of Tween Wave music signed by the composers. Wendy was pleased when Stan opened his gift, and a look of joy filled his face. He looked so grateful. 'You didn't have to do this Wendy, this is great!' he reached forward to peck her on the lips. 'Wow...this really is great. Go on, open yours!' he prompted her.

Wendy opened the box lid to be met with the sight of a gorgeous silver necklace shaped like half a heart. She pulled it out, noticing it glimmered in the light of the fire. 'It's...beautiful.' she told him, gazing at its complexion. Stan nudged her on the shoulder, gesturing for her to turn around so he could help her put it on.

She turned her back to Stan and felt his arms reach around her neck. He was on his knees behind her, leaning against her a bit for support. He had picked the necklace out of her hands, and he pulled the chain behind her neck, working his fingers to attach her gift. Wendy could feel his body against her back, warming her. She felt so comfortable with him.

He finally hooked it together and fluffed her hair so her necklace didn't get caught. Wendy's silver heart dangled down near her chest. She pulled it closer to her, admiring the half heart design. 'Oh yeah.' Stan said as he plopped down on his behind and stretched his legs out around Wendy. He squeezed her from behind and rested his head on her shoulder.'I couldn't help but treat myself too.' he had told her. She felt him release a hand from her as he reached down the front of his shirt.

A moment later she witnessed the other half of the silver necklace dangling next to her face. Stan held his half heart necklace out near hers. 'Here, put them together.' Wendy pulled up her necklace and put it next to the other silver piece. Sure enough, the two connected together perfectly, forming the shape of a heart.

'I love you so much...' Stan told her. He let his necklace fall back down. He held her in his tight embrace, breathing lightly on her neck. Wendy couldn't believe just how much she was in love with Stan. She felt a pang of regret through her memory. She missed the feeling of having someone hold her like that.

She had made the choice to break up with Stan the following summer. It wasn't an easy choice for her, but she felt they were growing apart. She truly did miss the relationship they once had, but she felt it was time to move on and see other people. A secret she always kept to herself was that she didn't know if she made the right decision by breaking up with him or not. True, they had seemed distant, but Wendy had never asked Stan if they could work anything out. Maybe she was the bad apple in the relationship.

Her mind quickly jumped to what Cartman had told her in the mall. She thought just how absurd it really was about the idea Stan was gay with Kyle. 'Cartman is an idiot.' she thought to herself. 'Stan and Kyle are just friends...' she tried to affirm herself. For some reason, she wasn't sure about Cartman's agenda. Why would Cartman have just came out and told her that? And why would Kenny say anything to Cartman if Kyle was actually gay? She doubted Kenny would have blabbed about his friends to Cartman. Kenny understood just how bad Cartman's harassment could be, and Wendy wouldn't think he'd wish it on anyone else. She cast the thought aside, she wanted to focus on something more positive.

She didn't know why, but she had started feeling some attraction towards Craig. His innocence and plain expressions were cute to her. Wendy loved asking him questions to see what he would say. He was fun to be around, regardless of having the reputation of a 'troublemaker' or 'bad kid.' Wendy actually liked his plainness, it almost added more depth to him. She thought it was a bit strange, yet true in her eyes.

Wendy set the hairbrush down with a light thump on her counter and headed for the door. Her feet felt cool against the tiles. She stepped out into her spacious bedroom, where the carpet tickled her feet as she walked across to her pink colored bed. She went over and sat down on the plush bedding.

Wendy turned around to gaze out the window into the night. She liked having her bed right next to the window. It was wonderful in the summertime to hear raindrops patter against the window. She thought it was unique, yet strange how weather could serve as a lullaby to some people.

Wendy's parents' had already gone to bed, but Wendy wanted to stay up a bit longer. She reached for her nightstand and grabbed her remote control for her miniature heater at the far end of the room. Her parents had bought her this heater as a 'holiday decoration.' It was shaped like a small fireplace and appeared to have flames burning inside of it. All it really did though was emit heat, but it was always nice to pretend. She turned it on with a light 'beep' noise as the fake flames shined inside.

Wendy set the remote down and grabbed her phone, turning the lamp off in the process. She kicked her feet under the covers and laid back, looking at the fake flames pattern on the ceiling above her. After she took a moment, she pulled the covers over her, being enveloped by their warmth. Her bed was queen sized, so she always had extra room. She missed the idea of having someone else occupy it with her.

As she turned her phone on she noticed the time was 11:38pm. Wendy decided she would try to stay awake for Christmas day. One thing she could do was text Craig. Maybe he was still up at this time of night. Surely if he was he'd text her back right away. Almost as if her thought provoked it, her phone vibrated, notifying her she had a new message from Craig.

She pressed the mail icon, reading the contents of his message: 'Have a good Christmas. Hopefully I can see you soon.' Wendy grinned a bit at the message and began tapping her thumbs to respond to him. 'Hope you have a great Christmas too, Craig!' she told him. She shut her phones screen off, looking into the darkness under her bed. She waited eagerly for his response.

She closed her eyes and a minute later her phone vibrated. Craig had replied. 'Stripes says Merry Christmas too!' Craig sent her the text, along with an attached picture of his furry brown rodent in a Santa hat. Wendy gave a big grin at this, and even giggled a little bit. 'Make sure and spoil him for me!' she sent back to him. She had never met his guinea pig. Craig never seemed to talk a whole lot about his family.

When she thought about it, she realized she had never met his family personally either, and very rarely had she seen them around Craig. She noticed Craig always had to walk if he wanted to go anywhere, and take the bus to and from school. Wendy had recalled she'd never seen Craig's parents pick him up at school, either.

She thought to herself for a moment. She didn't want to push Craig, but was curious about him and his family. She created a message, sending it to him within the minute: 'Please tell your parents I said Merry Christmas. Maybe I can meet them soon?' She curled herself up a bit tighter in anticipation. She stared at the phone screen until the message was sent.

She had expected to hear back from Craig within a minute, but a few had passed when she began to question where he was. She kept checking her phone every few seconds. A few minutes went by, and the time kept ticking as she grew more and more anxious. She hoped she hadn't done something wrong. She especially didn't want an enemy at this point.

When fifteen minutes had gone by since she had sent the message, she began to think of excuses as to why Craig hadn't gotten back to her. She wondered if he had fallen asleep, or if he had somehow not gotten her message. She double-checked to see that the message had been sent. Sure enough, her phone clarified it had been sent.

After waiting a few more minutes her phone finally vibrated, Craig finally got back to her. She opened his message and analyzed its contents. 'I'm going to bed, good night.' was all he sent her. He didn't say a word about his parents. Wendy was worried she had offended him in some way. Maybe she shouldn't have gone snooping to figure out Craig.

Wendy did wonder what was going on with Craig. She certainly hoped he wasn't being mistreated in any way. Sure, he may be different from other people, but he had always been nice to Wendy. Maybe he had a grudge against his parents for getting in trouble for something. Or maybe he was in a 'rebellious' phase.

She tapped a message back to Craig. 'Good night, sleep well.' And she pulled herself out from under her covers and put her phone on her nightstand. She stared at the flame patterns still illuminated on her ceiling. 'Well...I guess this means I won't have someone on Christmas Eve. That's OK though, I'm sure that'll change next year.'

She hugged herself tightly, gripping her shoulders. 'I do miss him...' she mumbled to herself. She knew she had to move on from the past. There were many more possibilities in her life. Craig was one of them. Wendy stared up at the ceiling for quite some time. She reached over and checked her phone again from the time. It was now 12:08am on Christmas Day. 'Merry Christmas...' she thought to herself.

Her eyes were heavy with sleep. She fought to stay awake. She realized it was a fruitless effort and she should just try to relax and get some sleep. Today was supposed to be a great day for her and her family. Maybe if she was lucky she would get to talk to Craig for awhile, too. Her eyelids shut as she was in darkness once again.

A few minutes after closing her eyes Wendy had found herself in a strange, dark place. She was in her winter clothes, including her scarf. She moved her feet against the ground, hearing snow crunch beneath her feet. In this strange world, she noticed that the snowflakes fell, lit up in different colors. She saw every color she could imagine. The color brought a strange feeling of awareness to this dark world.

She looked around and saw an iron street lamp in the distance. The light inside was bright and full of energy. She trekked towards it as the snowflakes fell silently around her. She noted their color dissapeared when they touched the ground. When she was only a few steps away from the lamp, she looked into its glass panes, seeing a light golden glow inside.

In an instant, the light began changing to a dark blue color. Wendy was unsure what to think of this. The snowflakes around her stopped falling to the ground, and instead were drawn to something she could not see. The colors swooshed past her and into the darkness. A moment later there were no more snowflakes falling, and another street lamp suddenly appeared a few yards away from her.

This street lamp also had the dark blue glow. It was bright enough that it lit up an old swing-set next to it. As she approached the swing-set, she noticed it seemed familiar. When she thought about it for a second, she realized that it was the exact same kind that Stan had in his backyard. Him and Wendy had swung on it a few times together. Wendy approached it cautiously, running her gloved hand over the metal poles. 'Why is it here?' she wondered to herself. She took it upon herself to sit on the cold metal and grip the metal chains. She lightly rocked herself back and forth.

She wasn't sure where she was or what she was doing. She just felt a strange feeling in this place, perhaps of curiosity. Snowflakes began falling again after a minute or two of her sitting. They fell very rapidly in a spot in front of her. The snowflakes fell so quickly, they stacked on top of one another. They all formed a blue shape. Eventually, the snow formed into what looked like the figure of a human.

The snow began to mock human features. It smoothed into human flesh and skin, and then into clothes and facial features. In less than a minute, she saw an exact image of Craig in front of her, surrounded by this blue light. He was in his signature blue hat with the yellow poof, his blue coat and his black jeans. He walked over to the other seat, but his feet made no noise as he walked over to it.

'Hi Craig, are you here to see me on Christmas?' Wendy asked with a grin. Craig didn't seem to notice her. After a few seconds of silence, Wendy called for him. 'Craig?' Her words didn't seem to reach him. He sat on the other seat staring at the ground. Wendy stood up and walked over to him, crouching down in front of him. 'Craig?' she reached for his shoulder, and to her shock her arm slipped right through him.

She noticed he was actually translucent. She could see through him. She waved her arm across his body, but all it was was light. There was nothing solid to touch. She gazed at Craig's face, he seemed to look right through her. Craig looked around. 'Guess she didn't come.' Wendy wanted to reach out to him. 'I'm here Craig? Can't you sense me?' she spoke to him, hoping he would somehow notice her.

Craig stood up suddenly. He was just inches in front of Wendy. 'I guess she didn't care about me.' 'Craig...I...' Wendy tried again to reach out to him, but he walked right through her. She whisked around. 'Craig! Don't leave me!' The blue hatted boy just continued walking. She followed him for what seemed like ages. Eventually the street lamps were out of sight and she was only following the glowing blue image of Craig through the darkness.

Craig suddenly froze in front of her. He glanced left and right, but Wendy couldn't see his face. 'Craig?' she asked again, most likely a fruitless effort. Slowly, Craig began to turn around. 'Can you hear me?' Wendy asked. 'Craig I..-' she gasped and fell to the ground as she saw Craig. A red streak was running down out of his left eye. It trickled to his chin and fell to the ground just in front of Wendy.

'She doesn't know what's coming.' Craig said. Wendy felt so afraid. 'What's coming Craig?!' she realized that her questions were useless by this point. She decided to just watch Craig. His lips moved as he began to speak again. His next words came out plainly as ever.

'Tears, and blood.'


	8. SM: And the Snow Keeps Falling

**_Author's_****_Note:_**_ Alright everyone, here's a chapter I'm sure you were all looking forward to. I just hit 1,000 views on my FanFiction and am so excited to keep writing the story. I've never had so many people dedicated to something of mine before. Every favorite, follow, and positive review inspires me. You are all amazing and I thank you all very much for taking interest. I really hope you all enjoy. I'm going to put the story on temporary hold for about a week while I take a short break. This chapter took a lot of 'author energy' to type out. Hope you all enjoy, please feel free to review or PM for questions/comments. :D_

Chapter 8 - And the Snow Keeps Falling

**POV:** Stan Marsh

Stan's light breathing was the only sound in his room as he slept underneath his warm Terrance and Phillip bed cover. He had a fairly busy Christmas day. His grandfather had came over to join them for Christmas dinner. Naturally, his grandfather wanted to talk and rant a lot, and Stan was forced to sit and listen. Randy found it rude when Stan wasn't around his grandfather when he came to visit.

The Marsh family had done nothing but talk, watch movies, and open gifts all day. Stan had received some gifts, of course. He had been given a few new clothes, a new mp3 player, but best of all he had received a brand new laptop. He was grateful to have had such a good Christmas. Though he was ready to put the festivities behind him. Tomorrow would be the day after Christmas, which meant the Christmas cheer would nearly vanish. New Years was around the corner, but after that things would go back to the way they once were.

As Stan slept, his phone vibrated on his night stand. The rapid bumps had woken him up. He opened his eyes slowly, a bit disoriented after having been in a good, deep sleep. Who would be trying to reach him at this time of night? He ignored the vibrating phone and closed his eyes, snuggling back into the warmth.

In less than a minute his phone vibrated again. Stan was curious as to why someone was so desperate to reach him tonight. He reluctantly opened his eyes and leaned on his side to grab his phone. As he reached for it, he glanced at the bright red numbers on his digital clock. It was 10:48 P.M. As Stan's eyes adjusted to the light of his phone, he saw he had received two new messages from Kyle.

He hadn't seen Kyle on Hannakuah this year, the Broflovski's decided they wanted a more family-oriented holiday event this year. Stan understood, though he thought it was too bad he couldn't see Kyle that day. Though Stan's family was sometimes so busy he couldn't see Kyle on Christmas, either. Today happened to be one of those days. Stan did declare the day well spent, though.

He pressed the mail icon to view the first message. He was wondering what his friend wanted. He skimmed his eyes across the contents of his friends words: 'Hey dude, I know it's late, but I was wondering if you wanted to do something fun tonight.' Even though Stan was tired, he had considered the offer.

Stan's curiosity was perking more and more as he wondered what Kyle had planned. He tapped his thumbs on his electronic keyboard quickly, replying to his friend. 'Sure dude, what did you have in mind?' He waited a minute for Kyle to send him a message back. It had only taken the Jew a few seconds to get back to him: 'It's a secret. Do you want me to come over and we'll head out together?' Stan thought that sounded good. 'Sure, meet me on right side of the house.' Stan sent the message and kicked his bare feet out from under the covers and onto the carpet. He slipped his phone back into his pocket.

He quietly stood up out of bed. He was wearing black sweatpants and a long, dark grey T-Shirt. His black hair was a bit of a mess, and he ran his fingers through it to smooth it out some. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out some socks, slipping them on in no time. A moment later he was putting some slippers on and sneaking over to his bedroom door. He cracked it open as quietly as he could. His heart nearly stopped when the door made a light creaking noise.

He waited and listened for any signs of moving. After waiting a good ten seconds he squeezed out between the door and shut it as quietly as possible. He then slowly made his way down the wooden stairs, his feet made very light thumping sounds as he descended. When he reached the bottom he walked to the front door, where he grabbed his brown jacket off the nearby coat rack. He put both arms inside of it and zipped it up. He grabbed his red gloves and his signature red poof ball hat and put those on as well.

Stan was ready to have a fun night with Kyle. They both had sneaked out for each other before, this would count as just another adventure. They really enjoyed being around each other. Stan sure knew he loved to be around Kyle. His Jewish friend was always a voice of reason, and Stan couldn't help but find his red, Jewish fro unique. Stan recalled how he had defended Kyle all the way back in pre-school. A group of kids were picking on Kyle for being the only red haired kid around. Young Stan had stepped in, innocent and serious. 'Don't be mean!' he had told the kids in his firm, youthful voice. Stan grinned at the thought of him getting defensive. How young and innocent him and Kyle once were...

Stan reached for the front door, and cracked it open. He was instantly met with cold air and snow. The snow wasn't falling as heavy as it was the past few days. It was falling slowly, and not as densely.

For some reason Stan's dream had flashed in his mind about Kyle. He had secretly been worried about him ever since he had that dream. He didn't know why, but he had a feeling that something bad was going to happen. Kyle seemed alright though. Stan didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it really was just a stupid dream and he should just relax. He took a deep breath and relaxed his muscles as best he could. He was looking forward to a fun night with his best friend. That was all he wanted right now.

Stan walked to the side of his house, where he noted Kyle's absence. He pulled out his phone, checking to see if Kyle had sent him another message. Stan walked over and leaned against the side of the house, gazing into his phone. The town was so quiet tonight, everyone was sleeping after a busy holiday. This would mean it was a perfect night for him and Kyle to enjoy whatever Kyle had to offer on their own.

A few minutes later Stan glanced over at the sidewalk where he saw the figure of his Jewish friend. Kyle was in his green hat, green gloves, and orange jacket as always. Stan noticed he too was wearing black sweat pants. Kyle walked over to him. 'Quit copying me.' Stan teased him. Kyle realized they had similar clothes and he gave a light chuckle. 'Well,are you ready?' he asked Stan, briefly placing a hand against the wall next to Stan's head.

Stan nodded in reply and they both headed for the sidewalk. They walked together, through the darkness. The only noise that was heard was the buzzing of the street lamps as they walked under them. Stan was still curious as to what Kyle was going to show him. Him and Kyle sometimes went late at night to places just to be alone with one another. Stan felt sometimes he was only happy and completely himself around Kyle, something that he didn't know whether or not was the same with Wendy.

'Are we there yet?' Stan asked Kyle the pointless question after about 10 minutes of walking. 'Almost.' Kyle told him. Kyle had surprised Stan when he had suddenly turned down the same street that led to their school. The large brick building came into view as Kyle approached it. It was a big black shadow in the night, only the moonlight offered the smallest illumination. Stan didn't even expect Kyle to turn into the school parking lot. When the Jewish boy did, Stan thought maybe he was joking, but his friend kept walking.

They walked across the parking lot and headed for the right side of the school building. Stan felt it was strange being on school grounds when class wasn't in session. Stan was only used to seeing the building in the daytime. Kyle and Stan had came down here before to go on the playground. They'd play all night on the weekends sometimes. They enjoyed being youthful. They would sit on the monkey bars for hours and watch the stars, talking about whatever was on their minds. Stan was warmed at the memory.

When they had approached the back of the school, Kyle walked over to the nearby dumpster. He reached for his coat pocket and pulled out a small red pocket flashlight and shined on the ground. Stan saw the Jewish boy crouch down for a moment and reach for a small crevice in the ground. He watched as Kyle pulled up a hatch in the ground. Stan looked down it into the darkness. He didn't know where it led to. 'I'll go first.' Kyle told him as he started down the metal stairs.

Stan and Kyle's feet made light clanging sounds against the metal as they descended. Stan reached up and pulled the hatch down, sealing off his sight from the outside world. Stan could hear the faint whirring of machines, and it took him a moment to realize they were both in the boiler room. 'Dude, how'd you know about this?' Stan asked Kyle, impressed. 'Just a little something Kenny told me...' Kyle said. The two walked across the room, past the machines and Kyle opened another door. Stan saw there were some stairs leading upwards.

They travelled up the steps and through yet another door. Stan realized they were now in the school hallways. It was so strange seeing the school dark and lifeless. There were no lockers shutting, no students chattering, and no teachers yelling at students. It was just Stan and Kyle in this dark,quiet place. 'So what did you have in mind? Just explore around?' Stan asked Kyle.

'I had something...special planned.' Kyle said, half teasing. The two walked through the hallways, their footsteps lightly heard against the tiled ground. As they made their way through the hallways, Stan pointed out Wendy's locker. It was covered with glittery flower stickers. He was wondering how Wendy was doing this Christmas. He was a bit curious to know if she was thinking about dating anyone besides Stan. Deep down, he still did care about her. He didn't love her the same way he did before, but they had shared a bond that was a big thing for Stan.

'We're almost there, come on.' Kyle's voice brought Stan back to the present. Kyle abruptly turned to a pair of double doors and walked into the gymnasium. The gym was big and spacious. Kyle had turned off his flashlight. The only light that shined in was through the small rectangle glass windows high up on the walls. Stan could faintly see the snow falling as the moonlight dimly illuminated a small part of the gym.

They walked across the entire gymnasium towards the back right corner. Kyle opened another metal door and quickly turned right to head down some stairs. Stan could smell chlorine. They were in the boys locker room, and on the other side was the school pool. 'Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' Stan asked his friend. 'Sure am.' Kyle replied cheerfully. Do you know where your locker is? Kyle had asked Stan. Kyle and Stan had different gym periods, so they were unsure of where each others lockers were.

'Over this way.' Stan said, grabbing the flashlight and walking along the length of the gym. Stan shined his flashlight in the locker and pulled out some black and red swim trunks. 'It'll be like the fourth of July on Christmas.' Stan joked. He could see Kyle give a light grin. 'Yeah.' he said. 'I'm going to go find my locker, it's at the other end. 'Just change in the dark and let me know when you're done.' 'Okay...' Stan said.

Kyle walked away and out of sight from Stan. Stan reached for the underside of his shirt and lifted. He was excited to go swimming. The school pool actually wasn't used very often. Most of the time the boys were just in the gymnasium playing basketball or dodgeball. Each grade had two weeks throughout the year where they used the pool in gym class, but unfortunately, Stan and Kyle had already used up their two weeks back when school started in September.

Stan kicked off his shoes and removed his socks. He was fumbling a bit in the darkness, and kept his hand on a nearby locker for support. He reached down for his waistband and dropped his pants and underwear. He stood naked in the darkness. He enjoyed feeling natural. A slight breeze came through the locker room, cool against his bare skin. He pulled his trunks up his legs and tied the string tight around him. 'Kyle?' Stan called out in the darkness.

'Are you ready?' Kyle asked. 'Yup.' Stan replied. A moment later the Jewish boy came over with the flashlight. Stan was glad to see Kyle not be afraid to show his red hair around him. He rarely ever took off his hat around others, except for Stan. The Jewish boy was wearing dark green and light blue swim trunks. Stan followed his shirtless, skinny friend to the end of the locker room and out the door into the swim area.

Kyle shined his flashlight over towards the pool. Stan could see the water still and calm. He followed Kyle over to a small metal box mounted on the wall. Kyle opened it up and shined the light inside. He flicked a switch, and a moment later Stan looked over to see that dim white lights had been turned on in the depths of the pool. Kyle looked for another switch. He found it a moment later, flicking it on. The lights in the pool started changing color.

The colors cycled underneath the pool as the boys made their way towards the back where the empty bleachers were. The pool lights were just enough to let them see the swim area. It was still dim, but at least they could swim together.

'Well...' Kyle said, 'Shall we?' There was a metal rail going down some steps into the shallow water. Stan and Kyle stepped in together at the same time. The water was lapping against them. Stan enjoyed the warm sensation against his legs. It was so relaxing. They both reached the bottom of the pool and started walking into the deeper area.

The water lapped at Stan's nipples as Kyle stopped at the deeper end of the pool. Kyle was up to his neck in water. He had always been a little shorter than Stan. 'Hey...let's have a breath holding contest.' Kyle invited. 'Sure...1...' Kyle held his nose. '2...3!' They both took a sharp breath and dunked under the water. Water around Stan was a sensation he missed during the summertime.

To Stan he felt being underwater was almost like a dream. The pressure from the water all around him almost made the present moment feel unreal. It was as if his brain slowed down when he was submerged. He pushed a hand towards the surface, pressing against the water above him to stay underwater. He held his breath, and slowly felt himself headed towards needing oxygen.

Stan kept his eyes closed, he wondered if Kyle had surfaced yet. When Stan couldn't stand being breathless anymore, he kicked his feet against the ground, jumping above the surface and taking a sharp inhale of air. He noticed Kyle was huffing slightly and rubbing his eyes. Stan took another sharp inhale. 'Don't worry Kyle, I don't pee in the pool like Butter's.'

Stan laid back, letting himself float on the water. The water felt so warm. He just gazed up at the dim ceiling. He moved his eyes over slightly to the rectangular windows, watching the snow still falling outside. 'You know Kyle...you've really outdone yourself.' Stan told his friend as he floated along, kicking his feet very lightly. 'Have you heard about the new water park they are building an hour away? It's going to be huge.'

'I haven't heard...' Kyle said, quieter than usual. 'What's it going to be like?' Stan lowered his legs and touched the bottom of the pool. He walked slowly through the water, drops trickling down his body as he spoke. He pictured the water park in front of him. 'Well...over here' he said as he stretched both arms outwards towards the wall 'there is going to be this enormous water slide. It's supposed to go upside down. They said they are going to finish it next summer.

'Yes...that sounds great...' Kyle said, still quiet. Stan continued on. 'Then over here...' he moved his arms to the right. 'Is going to be this big bucket-like thing. It fills up with a huge amount of water then comes crashing down on you. Can you imagine how fun that'll be?' And then...over here...' Stan moved his arms again. 'There's this little drink bar. You can swim up to it and sit on a stool that juts out of the water and get something to drink. It'll be so fun...I'm sure you'll like it Kyle. They are even having a special on day one where you can bring one friend if you pay for your own ticket. It'll be great, best friends...on yet another adventure...I look forward to it, Kyle.'

Stan lowered his arms back into the water. He waited for Kyle to respond. He was sure that Kyle would be enthused by the idea, but he heard nothing from the Jewish boy. He looked over to see Kyle with his head down towards the water. A tear dripped down the boys face. His words came out quietly 'I...I can't...I can't go!' Kyle said, frustrated. Stan trudged over to Kyle. Stan was about to speak when Kyle raised his head. 'Stan...' he started. Water drops were falling out of his red hair.

'I'm leaving...and moving to Sweden after New Years...my dad found a job over there.' Kyle said. The words hit Stan like a punch in the gut. He didn't know what to say. He had been around Kyle his entire life, and now his friend was moving away from him. He couldn't fathom the thought of his best friend for life was moving away. Stan felt a pang of sadness inside of him, and felt tears start to well in his own eyes.

'I just...don't know what to do!' Kyle said, frustratingly. 'You are the biggest thing here to me...I don't want to leave.' Kyle said, slapping his hands on the water. 'Stan...before I go though...I need to tell you something.' Kyle said, looking back into the water. Stan braced himself for anything bad. 'What is it?' Stan asked. The Jewish boy was quiet for what seemed like a minute. 'There's something I've been meaning to tell you for awhile now...and I'm honestly a bit afraid, but I'll tell you now.'

Stan wasn't sure what he was about to except. Had he done something wrong? His mind was already racing through the memories of him and Kyle together. He knew wherever Kyle went, he would always remain in his heart and be the most important person to him. He was ready to apologize if he had hurt Kyle in any way. Kyle looked up at Stan after a long silence. 'Through all our memories...and the bond we've shared...I...' he lowered his gaze from Stan's watery eyes.

'I've fallen in love with you...' the entire world seemed quiet at that point. It was as if the world had frozen in time for Stan. His best friend had expressed feelings he had never expected him to say. Stan knew that they always shared a close bond, but really didn't expect to be told that he was loved by his best friend. The world seemed to resume a moment later when Stan had fully grasped what he'd been told. Tears were rapidly streaming down Kyle's face, his cheeks were red.

Stan walked over to his friend, getting inches closer at a time. Kyle was panting heavily, clearly upset. Stan was sad too, he fought back tears. He lifted both his wet arms out of the water. The water was just below Kyle's shoulders and just above Stan's nipples. He stood in front of Kyle for a moment, watching him cry his tears into the water beneath him.

Stan reached both arms out, tears nearly falling. He placed his hands behind Kyle's shoulders. 'Kyle...' Stan said. Kyle panted and looked up at Stan, his face and cheeks red from crying. Tears burst from Stan's eyes. He leaned his head down towards Kyle's face. Kyle stopped crying as Stan touched his tender lips against him. Kyle closed his eyes, and allowed Stan to continue.

They worked their lips against one another. Their cheeks were red, hot, and moist with tears. Their wet faces felt hot against one another. Stan reached his left hand down under the water, pushing Kyle towards him. He used his right hand to push the back of Kyle's head into his. Kyle reached both of his arms around Stan's neck. They kissed silently as the water changed color beneath them and the snow fell silently outside.

They both relaxed their legs, and fell over into the water, into the dream world as Stan imagined it. They shared an underwater kiss, holding each other tightly. It was their time, and their dream.

The two were lost in the moment. They continued kissing each other, pretending the future never existed.


	9. EC: Foretelling

**_Author's Note:_**_Hey everyone! Glad to finally bring you the next chapter in my FanFiction. I took a week to clear my head, lay out a few more fine details about the future of this story, including figuring out the ending. There is going to be many incoming things that may be a bit to digest, but I'm sure you'll all enjoy it if you stick through. :) Just a fun fact, there_ **IS** _an upcoming timeskip (when a plot changes to a different time period). With this new chapter comes new premonitions, worries, and secrets. _

_I'm just going to answer a few brief questions I received:_

**HOW OLD ARE THE BOYS INTENDED TO BE?**

_I've selected some careful wording. Personally, I see the boys in their teen years in high school. However, I know some people like to imagine characters in their own way, I hoped this would encourage the readers to potentially enjoy the story more._

**HOW LONG ARE YOU EXPECTING THE STORY TO BE, HOW COMPLETE IS IT AS OF CHAPTER 8?**

_I can tell you as far as production goes, I already have plenty of story material to type out. I like to think of this FanFic similar to how 'seasons' on T.V. are laid out. Seasons are distinct, seperate parts of a story, but also a continuation. Chapter 10 will be the 'season 1' finale of sorts to this fiction. I can definitely say though, there IS a season 2! I just don't want to give away exact length because all I can say is that when the ending chapters come into play, you'll know. Look forward to it :)_

_Thanks so much for reading my note! **ENJOY! :)**_

Chapter 9 - Foretelling

**POV: **Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman laid across his leather living room couch as he fixed his eyes on the T.V. in front of him. He had an opened bag of Cheesy Poof's tucked in between his arm and upper body. He was happily munching as he watched another re-run of Terrance and Phillip. His mother had gone out grocery shopping, so Eric had the home all to himself. He wasn't looking forward to his mom coming home any time soon though.

Cartman had a love/hate relationship with his mother. While he was very young, she had spent so much time and attention to him that Cartman considered her his best friend. With the absence of Cartman's father, Cartman and his mother shared a bond that he was sure other kids didn't share with their parents. He had always been a 'mother's child.'

Cartman had always looked up to his mother, he would run off the school bus to go and hug her when he arrived home. She was always his favorite person, and he was her pride and joy. Some of the other kids had made fun of him because he was always so clueless and gullible about things. His mother had sheltered him from 'harmful things,' though through meeting others, he soon enough discovered more about life than he'd ever thought his mom would teach him. While their relationship was strong, Cartman discovered something that made him wonder just where they stood with each other.

Cartman was excited for the last Christmas because he was always showered with presents. A week before Christmas arrived, he had been sitting on the edge of his bed going through shopping catalogs, circling in red the gifts he wanted. He figured he would go into his mothers room to put the shopping catalogs under his pillows, so that she would notice them and look through them. It was always a sort of 'silent tradition' Eric had done with her.

He had heaved himself off and his feet lightly thumped against the carpet. Cartman walked barefoot out of his bedroom and out into the hallway. He walked down it a ways to his mothers room. Her door was shut, as usual. He turned the metal doorknob and pushed it open slowly, trying his best not to disturb anything in the room.

His mother always had a spacious room. The sun was shining brightly outside and filtered in through her window blinds. She had a king sized bed covered in silky bed covers and satin pillows shaped like hearts and squares. She also had a bathroom directly connected to her bedroom. There was a large desk over near the window to Cartman's left, with a vase and a decorative rose on top. To the right side of the room sat a large glass display case, with pictures of Cartman and his mother.

Cartman had walked over to her bedside. He lifted up a satin heart shaped pillow, and lightly placed the catalog underneath it. It's paper edges were sticking out just slightly, just enough so that Cartman was assured she would notice. He mistakenly turned his feet clumsily, tripping himself. He tried to regain his balance, but a moment later he tumbled down, landing on his face. He cursed in anger. He had been ready to get up when turned his head towards the underside of his mothers bed. He stopped when he noticed something underneath.

Cartman noticed a shoe box underneath her bed. His curiosity was rising. He thought about how it may have been a Christmas present, or something important to her. At first he didn't want to look inside, but he quickly changed his mind. He wanted to know what was in that small cardborad box. He reached underneath the bed, pulling the box towards him. Cartman sat up on the floor with the box next to him. He reached for the box and placed it on his lap. He used both hands to lift the lid off. The sunlight in the room shined on the contents of the box.

Cartman didn't even know what to think when he realized what the contents inside were. At first he thought he was seeing things, but a few seconds later it had sunk in. Inside the box were condoms, sex toys, and pornographic videos. Cartman lifted a DVD case out, thinking about watching it later. However the thought soon changed when he noticed big golden words on the bottom of the DVD case: _Starring Liane Cartman._

Cartman read the words over and over, trying to digest the name. He flipped the DVD case over, studying the back. Sure enough, it shown Cartman's mom, obviously nude, but text and symbols were covering her private areas. Cartman let his wrist fall to his knee, the DVD fell out of his hand. He stopped for a moment, gazing at the wall in front of him. He wasn't sure how he should feel about this situation.

Cartman looked back inside the little shoebox. Underneath where the DVD had been was a small black planner. Cartman pulled it out and opened it up, using his fingers to fling through the pages. Nothing had been written until Eric reached the month of July. On the first of the month, there was a man's name scribbled across it, with a phone number underneath. Next to both and circled in a black pen was a dollar sign.

Eric had checked every week up until this day. Every week there was a man's name scribbled down, usually on a weekend date. It didn't take Eric long to make assumptions. It appeared that she had been prostituting herself to all these different men for a living. And her being in a pornographic film was likely how she made so much money.

His recent discovery made thoughts race through his mind. 'What if she's only acting nice because she enjoys her 'job?' What if she feels guilty so she has to be nice to me?' Cartman knew one thing though: He had to keep this a secret. If any word of this was let out, it could cause him and his mother a lot of grief.

Back in the present, the end credits rolled for the Terrance and Phillip show. Cartman was still stuffing his face with the delicious Cheesy Poofs. He flipped through the channels after seeing a preview for the news, something Cartman never cared for. In a matter of minutes he was back at the same channel that was airing Terrance and Phillip a moment ago, now broadcasting the news. 'There's nothing on a Saturday night?' Cartman said out loud in annoyance.

He tossed the remote on the coffee table and lay there watching the news. He let a yawn out about a minute later out of boredom. The news reporter spoke about the rising price of gas, some new construction on South Park mall, and how the new year was just around the corner. Sadly the students of South Park school had to return the day after New Years Day, which was less than a week away.

Cartman reached for the coffee table and grabbed his expensive cell phone. He pulled it up to his face and checked it for text messages and social media updates. Sure enough, the fat boy was as lonely as ever, no one had bothered to text or message him online. On the social networking website, he saw that Kyle had shared a few pictures recently from Hannakuah, which of course his many friends had liked them.

Cartman was always a little jealous of Kyle, he wanted to be like him in a lot of ways. He was a bit skinny, yet he played basketball on occasion. Cartman had never been too interested in sports, mostly because he felt he was too chubby to try out in the first place. Kyle was also academically smart, something Cartman also wished he had. Though remembering all the math and boring vocabulary seemed like a boring and daunting task. But most of all, Cartman saw a friendship in Kyle and Stan he had never seen before.

He had always seen the two hanging out together, laughing, and teaming up against Cartman when he lashed out against either of them. Though there was one thing Cartman had trouble admitting, yet it stayed in the back of his mind. Through his entire life, Cartman had never really had a close or best friend, unless he counted his own mother. Though through seeing how cool, charming, and unique the Jewish boy was, he was actually fell in love with him. He was honestly jealous of Stan, too.

He envied Kyle, and wanted to be a part of his world. He always ragged on him for being a Jew, but Cartman always loved the attention from Kyle. Though Kyle knew it was mostly a joke, so sometimes Cartman actually felt warmth when he would respond to Cartman, even by calling him 'fatass.'

When Cartman had told Wendy a week ago that he thought Kyle was gay, his intention was not to anger Kyle. He really just wanted to find out if Kyle truly was gay or not. It was only a bonus to Eric that Wendy was angry. A long time ago she had told Cartman she liked him, but quickly dismissed it a few days later, as if nothing had ever happened. Cartman was actually hoping that Wendy would be able to plant a rift between her and Stan, and in turn, Stan would break away from Kyle. Cartman was going to stay low, and let others do his work for him. Perhaps it would all work out well for him, and he would end up with Kyle like he had wanted.

He noticed Kyle's nature around Stan. The way Kyle had watched him, touched him, and spoke to him Cartman longed for. Cartman had never seen Stan as someone that could be gay, so he figured that if Kyle was, maybe he'd actually have a shot. Kenny actually hadn't told him anything about thinking Kyle being gay, he had only used it to make it seem more logical in front of Wendy.

Eric didn't know when he actually started feeling attracted to Kyle. He thought maybe he had started to like him years ago, but never wanted to admit it. Cartman was one to use a lot of gay jokes, which most of the time would result in nothing but him being scolded by other students. Now that Cartman actually declared himself gay, he wanted to be an image of someone important to Kyle. He wanted to be what Kyle wanted him to be, even if that meant changing his attitude about life. An image passed through his mind with him and the Jewish boy shirtless on the couch, kissing and running their hands through each others hair.

Eric snapped back to the present when he heard the front door unlock. It was pushed open, sending a cold breeze throughout the house as Eric's mother walked in. 'I'm home, poopy!' She called out. She shut the door behind her and walked into the kitchen with bags of groceries around her arms. Cartman looked at her, wondering if she had _only_ went out for groceries, or if she had seen another man.

He heaved himself off the couch and walked into kitchen, where his mom was pulling out various items from the plastic grocery bags. Cartman made his way to the fridge. He opened it up and grabbed a can of soda, cold and wet. He cracked open the top and took a sip. The liquid was cool and refreshing in his mouth. He enjoyed it for a moment. He headed back toward the living room, he was just under the kitchen threshold when his mother stopped him. 'Eric.' she called lightly.

Eric stopped in the kitchen doorway, turning around. His mom was shuffling through the plastic bags. 'I got you something from the store today.' She continued searching for a moment, then pulled out a plastic video game case and walked over to Cartman. 'I know you wanted this for Christmas but they were sold out, they just bought some in as I was shopping, I figured you'd like one.'

Cartman wasn't sure how to feel about the gift. He wasn't sure if he should be pleased and genuinely be thanking her, or if she was just doing this for appearances. 'Thanks.' he said plainly as took it from her hands. He turned his back to her and walked out of the kitchen. The silence after he had turned his back on his mother was eating at him. He could almost feel her eyes watching him. He grabbed his phone off the coffee table and slipped it into his pocket. He then proceeded up the wooden stairs, his feet making the wood creak lightly beneath him.

'Am I just being ungrateful, or do I actually have a reason to feel this way? I don't know...' Cartman thought to himself as he opened his bedroom door. He stepped into his bedroom and shut the door. He walked over to his bed and placed the video game on his nightstand. He kicked his feet over his bed and stared up at the ceiling. 'I always thought my mom was actually trying to show love for me...but now I wonder if she's only doing it to keep up appearances.'

He let his mind wander a bit about Kyle. He remembered one day after school when the Jewish boy was playing basketball in the gymnasium with Stan, Kenny, and Token. They had all been passing the ball around. He watched Kyle from the small crack between the gymnasium double doors. He moved around with such grace and speed. Cartman had thought he was cute, to say the least.

His thoughts were interrupted by his phone vibrating in his pocket. It was rare for him to be contacted at all by anyone. He hardly ever heard anything from other 'friends.' He pulled his phone out and saw he had received a message from Kenny. He pressed the mail icon, opening up his friends message. It felt he had been slapped in the face after he read the message to himself. 'Dude, do you know Kyle is moving away?' Kenny had sent him. Cartman took a moment to digest this. Perhaps his pursuit after the Jewish by was meaningless. Cartman wanted to scream, but instead released his anger by throwing his phone across the room, it thumped against his bean bag.

'So after all this work to get Kyle to notice me...' Cartman thought darkly. 'He's just going to move away...' Cartman thought maybe he should dash out the door that instant, run to Kyle's house and tell him his feelings. But he realized that if he told Kyle so urgently, if he was to ever return from wherever he had moved to, things would likely be awkward, and Kyle probably would shut out Cartman if their feelings weren't mutual.

Cartman never felt so helpless. He was in a situation where he didn't know who to trust or what to do with himself. His mother didn't know he was gay. Maybe Cartman would have to try around the school for someone else. Though his mind was unforgiving, no matter how much he tried to think about dating someone else, his mind always came back to the red haired boy he had admired so much: Kyle.

Cartman looked outside the window, looking in the direction of Kyle's house. 'I wish I had myself some Kyle time.' he said in a silent prayer, wishing Kyle would stay in South Park forever. While Cartman knew this was likely impossible, he figured he could spend time with Kyle another way. He got up off his bed and walked over to his phone, face down on the floor next to his bean bag.

'There's no reason I CAN'T see you before I go though.' Cartman thought. He looked through his contacts found the Jewish boys number (which he had actually only found out because he hacked Kyle's social media account once). The phone rang, and for a moment Cartman thought no one was home. Finally he heard the voice of Kyle's mother answer the phone. 'Broflovski residence.'

Eric started 'Hello, Ms. Broflovski, my name is Eric Cartman, I'm a good friend of Kyle's. I recently heard you were all moving and was wondering if you needed any help.' Sheila was silent for a moment on the other end. 'Oh, thanks hun, you're so sweet to offer help. We're supposed to be moving the day after New Years, so we've already started packing. We're mostly all set. I really appreciate it though.'

'Oh...' Eric said, a bit disappointed. 'Would you like to talk to Kyle?' Sheila asked. Cartman was stuck at a tough decision. He was sure that Sheila would eventually tell Kyle he called, so he figured he might as well go a bit further. 'Sure.' Cartman said. 'Just a minute.' Sheila said. She set down the phone and Cartman heard her calling for Kyle. In the background he heard Kyle's voice 'Yeah?' 'Your friend Eric is on the phone for you.' she said.

Kyle didn't respond to this. A moment later Eric heard a brief static as Kyle lifted the phone to his face. 'Hello?' he heard Kyle's voice. 'Kyle...it's Eric, how are you?' Kyle was silent for a second. 'Hey...I'm not too bad...' Cartman could tell Kyle was trying to be nice. 'Listen, I know we haven't really hung out a whole lot, but I certainly do know you and was wondering if you wanted to do something before we left. Maybe you, me, Stan and Kenny can do something together, a goodbye celebration of sorts.' 'Hmm...' Kyle thought for a moment. 'That sounds good, I could probably get ahold of Kenny and Stan. I'll tell you what, I'll call them and call you back in a few minutes. OK?' Kyle asked. Cartman had a grin come across his face. 'Sounds great, call me back man.' 'I sure will. Bye now.' Kyle said as he hung up the phone.

Cartman's face turned red. He had planned a party with all of his friends, it seemed natural. It was a better idea than asking to hang out with Kyle one on one. Eric had to remain subtle.

Eric tried out his new video game over the next few hours, anxiously awaiting a call from Kyle. The sun was setting when Eric's phone rang, his face lit up with joy as he saw it was from Kyle. He accepted the call and lifted the phone up to his ear 'Hey, Kahl.' he greeted his friend.

'Well, Kenny and Stan say they'd be up for that. In fact, Stan says he wants us to have New Years Eve at his house. We'll celebrate the new year and have an awesome party together. Does that sound good to you?' Cartman was so happy at the moment, his face was turning a bit redder. 'Sounds wonderful.' 'That's great!' Kyle said cheerfully. 'I hope to see you there!' Kyle hung up the phone.

Eric was frozen with a red face for a moment. Kyle had said he hoped to see him there...did he really mean that? Maybe Eric did have the chance after all. It'd do him great to get away from his mother for a night. He could have a night to figure some things out and enjoy himself.

Suddenly a few emergency sirens blared outside. Cartman went over to his window, looking out for what was happening. A few police cars and an ambulance soared by his house, dissapearing after turning down a side street. 'Eric!' he heard his mother call for him. 'Dinner is ready!' 'Ok mom, be there in a minute!'

It was an awkward dinner. Eric didn't have a lot to talk about. He just picked at his chicken, taking little bites as the small T.V. In the kitchen reported the news. Liane always liked the news during the evening. She just watched the T.V. as Cartman ate silently. The news reporter was reporting things Cartman had heard earlier. Suddenly news music played and Eric heard 'We interrupt this message to bring you...'

Eric was suddenly interested on what it was that they ignored the regular news. He watched as a different news reporter appeared live on screen. Eric could see behind him two police cars and an ambulance, just like he had seen earlier. The news reporter began to spoke 'I'm standing just down the street from a young boys home. The young boy had been beaten badly and witnesses say it appeared to be related to gang violence. It is unknown who the assailants are due to the fact they were all wearing black. The boy is suffering from a few broken bones and definite bruises and cuts, but doctors say he will pull through O.K. It seems there has suddenly been an increasing trend in violence lately in South Park. It is likely just a small gang of young adults or teenagers, residents near the area should not be worried, but be cautious. Back to you Tom.'

The screen cut back to the regular news reporting. 'That's awful.' Liane said. Cartman just returned to eating his chicken silently. He spoke up a moment later 'Those sirens earlier were from two police cars and an ambulance...I saw them turn down a couple streets down from us.' 'Really?' Liane asked, surprised. 'Yeah...' Cartman said. 'Don't worry though mom, I'm sure we're fine.'

In the next moment Liane turned her head to Cartman. He only noticed it when he looked up at her from eating his chicken. Her face looked troubled, but she curled her lips into a nervous smile.

'I'm sure too, hun.'


	10. KB: Promise

**_Author's _****Note:** _Finally, the final chapter of the first arc of the story! I really don't know what to say here. But thank you for viewing and anything else you do to contribute or reflect on the story! I hope you all enjoy the end of part 1. I'll have a new chapter up in about a week. Lot's of love, fellow readers. Enjoy! :)_

Chapter 10 – Promise

**POV: **Kyle Broflovski

Kyle walked down the sidewalk towards Stan's house. It was New Years Eve. People were visiting other families in celebration of the holiday. Kyle was really looking forward to tonight, yet he hoped he could maintain his emotions. Stan's parents were over at Mr. Mackey's house with other adults celebrating the New Year, so Stan had the entire house all to himself. Kyle was surprised, yet grateful that Cartman had reached out to him like he did. He was surprised Cartman of all people came up with the idea of throwing a party for Kyle. Kyle had to admit, he would miss his chubby 'friend,' even if he did rag on Kyle all the time.

In a few minutes Kyle was knocking at Stan's front door. He heard movement coming from inside the house. 'Coming!' he heard Stan shout from the other side. A moment later Stan opened the door. He was wearing his signature poof-ball hat. He reached into his pocket and quickly pulled out a confetti popper. He quickly pulled the attached string and confetti landed on Kyle's hat and shoulders. 'Cute.' Kyle said as he walked inside, brushing off the confetti. Kyle noted how quiet the house was. 'Is anyone else here right now?' Kyle asked. 'Not yet, you're a few minutes early.' Stan replied.

They had all planned to meet at ten o' clock that evening. Kyle had left his house around nine-thirty, so it probably wouldn't be too long before his friends shown up. Kyle removed his winter clothing and shoes. Abruptly Stan quickly grabbed Kyle's hand. Stan's hands were soft and warm. 'Come on upstairs for a minute.' he invited Kyle. He began tugging at the Jewish boy. Kyle gave into Stan's force and let him guide him up the stairs.

A moment later Stan and Kyle were in Stan's room. Stan made sure to shut the door behind him. Stan guided Kyle over to his bed, keeping a light grip on Kyle as he let him sit down next to him. 'You know.' Stan started with Kyle. 'I'm going to miss you...a lot.' Kyle felt a pang of sadness inside him. 'I'll miss you too...' Kyle told him. 'I'll never forget what we shared either...'

Their night together at the school pool had been the most amazing experience of Kyle's life so far. They were both wet, alone, and truly showing their love for one another. Kyle remembered the warmth and gentleness of Stan's touch around him, and his wet, tender lips working against him. Kyle's face started becoming a bit flushed as he recalled the feeling of Stan's chest against his. Kyle wished that night would have continued forever, but he knew that couldn't be the case. He would be away from his best friend the day after tomorrow. He wouldn't have days like this for a long time, he knew.

'You know, I'm really glad we're having this party tonight.' Kyle told Stan. Stan slightly tightened his grip on Kyle's hand. 'Me too.' Stan looked at him. The two met each other with deep, sad eyes. Kyle looked at Stan's lips, still so perfectly smooth. Kyle leaned forward slowly, his eyes meeting with Stan. Stan closed his eyes, and Kyle did the same. Kyle could just barely feel Stan's breath as their experience was interrupted by loud, rapid knocking on Stan's front door.

They both opened their eyes, and gave slightly annoyed looks. Kyle just grinned and said 'I guess we should get that.' They both stood up and walked downstairs together. Stan held Kyle's hand until he opened the door. Stan and Kyle were met with the blond haired boy in the orange parka: Kenny. 'Kyle!' Kenny said as he spread his arms wide. He moved forward and quickly wrapped his arms around Kyle under the armpits, and squeezed him tightly.

'Ken...too...tight.' Kyle squeezed out. The blond lightened his grip, holding Kyle for another moment, then released him. Kyle patted his chest a few times. 'Gosh Kenny, you never change, do you?' Kenny grinned. 'Nope, and damn proud of it too.' Kyle and Kenny exchanged warm glances. Their attention suddenly snapped a loud voice coming from the sidewalk. 'Did somebody say there's a party here?!' Kenny turned around and the other boys saw the last member of their group. Cartman was standing on the edge of the sidewalk. His red jacket was unbuttoned, and he had an expensive looking designer shirt on underneath. His brown hair swept neatly to the left side of his face.

'Hey!' Kyle called out to him. 'Get in here so you can get assaulted by Kenny.' he teased. Kenny gave Kyle a light look of playful annoyance. Cartman walked up to the group and walked right through Stan's door, ignoring Kenny. 'Wow, it's been forever since I've been over here.' Cartman said as he paced around a bit. 'Wow, so many memories here...' Cartman seemed to have a moment in his eyes where he seemed lost in thought. Kyle wondered what he was thinking. Cartman hadn't been the most active of their original group, but he still was a big part of Kyle's history.

Stan clapped his hands together. 'I have a surprise for everyone. Since this is a special occasion, I figured we might as well have a few party favors. Who'd be up for some wine later?' The boys all raised their hands in unison. 'We'll save that until just a bit before the new year.' Kenny gave a light cheer and Kyle and Stan high fived. Cartman awkwardly held out a clenched fist, and Stan, at first a little reluctant, returned a fist to Cartman.

For the next hour and a half the boys sat in the living room together as the countdown for the new year approached. Stan and Kyle sat next to each other on the couch while Kenny sat on the floor. Cartman of course helped himself to Randy's recliner. 'Hey, do you guys remember when...' Cartman started. The boys spent a lot of time exchanging memories from before.

Stan spoke about how they had role-played for the 'stick of truth.' It was a meaningless stick, but all of the kids pretended that whoever controlled the stick, controlled the universe. Kyle was the high elven king against Cartman, who was the grand wizard of Kupa Keep(which was really just his backyard). Kyle remembered how fun it was: being surrounded by friends at a young age. Kyle honestly couldn't remember the last time he had so much fun. All of the worries he had to face now with extra school work and demands at home had really worn at him. He wasn't quite the kid he once was, but still had a youthful spirit underneath his hard working reflection.

Kenny told everyone about how he still had his old princess costume tucked away in his closet. He had been 'princess Kenny' during the game they played what seemed like a long time ago. Kenny had chosen to become a princess because Cartman said he couldn't play as one. For the most part, Kenny just angered Cartman on purpose by showing up the next day in a pink princess outfit. Eventually, Clyde had betrayed everyone and stole the stick of truth. Kyle recalled how everyone had made an alliance against Clyde. In the end, 'princess Kenny' had taken the stick after Clyde was defeated. It had been a fun twist to their adventure.

Cartman recalled another story. He retold the story about how they had all been to Stark's pond after they had seen the Terrance and Phillip: Asses of Fire movie. All the other kids had been ice skating, and the boys went to the pond to show off their new-found 'language.' All the other kids were impressed with their foul language, too. The boys all shared a laugh when they remember they were grounded for causing so much trouble after seeing the movie.

'Haha, good times...' Kenny said. 'Hey Kyle, you haven't spoke a lot. What was your favorite memory of us together?' Kyle was a bit surprised at Kenny's question. 'Well, let me think here...' The memories in Kyle's mind flew rapidly as he tried to think about his favorite time with his friends. 'Hmm...' Kyle choked for a minute. 'Well...it's kind of embarrassing.' Cartman kicked a leg over his knee, 'Tell us, Kahl.'

'Well...' Kyle started, grinning at the comedial memory. 'Do you all remember when we 'played' news reporters at the school? We were all competing against Craig's T.V. show, and we all kept working harder and harder to win against him...When we thought about how difficult it was to come up with ideas...our dumb, young minds came up with the idea for us to...' Kyle stifled a laugh. 'To drink cough medicine!' Kyle began to laugh. The other boys chimed in their laughter as well. 'God damn, we were so stupid.' Stan said, then continued to laugh.

It was half an hour to the new year when Stan had turned on the T.V. Concert music flooded the house as they all watched together. Stan stood up suddenly. 'Alright, let's break out the wine! Kyle, you get the wine glasses.' Kyle stood up. 'On it.' Kyle walked over to the fine china cabinet situated in Stan's dining room. He opened up the glass case, pulling out four clear wine glasses. He returned to the living room and handed a glass to Cartman, and one to Kenny. Kyle sat back down on the couch, holding two in his hands.

Kyle heard the sound of a cork popping. Stan returned a moment later with a large, opened bottle of wine. 'This stuff is a bit more potent than most other wines, so be careful.' Kyle could smell the wine as soon as Stan sat down next to him. 'Kyle first.' Kyle held out his glass as Stan poured out rich red liquid.

Cartman leaned forward on the recliner, holding out his glass. Cartman nodded to Kyle, briefly raising his wine glass before sipping. Kenny was still laying on the floor. 'You sure you don't want to squeeze on the couch with us, Ken?' Stan offered. Kenny waved a hand and held out his empty glass. 'Oh no, I'm fine on the floor, I'm used to it anyway.'

As Stan poured his glass, he spoke. 'A toast...' he turned towards Kyle. He set the wine bottle down on the coffee table. 'To a new future for my best friend. Hopefully he won't have to use cough medicine to become creative.' Stan raised his glass in the air. 'To Kyle.' Kenny and Cartman raised their glasses. 'To Kyle!' they chanted. The boys all bumped wine glasses together. Kyle lifted the wine glass to his lips, and sipped on exquisite liquid. It was quite bitter, but it also had a unique taste that made it satisfying.

A minute towards the new year the wine bottle was nearly empty. Kyle was starting to feel the effects of the wine. He felt a little tipsy, his co-ordination seemed a little off, and he felt slightly light headed. He reached down for the wine bottle, pouring himself the last bit. Kyle thought the alcohol had an amazing effect. This was the first time Kyle had ever drank before. He was pleased by the effects, and wanted to keep going. His body felt heavier as he became more relaxed. The T.V. program was counting down to the new year, and the boys all joined in during the final seconds to count down together.

'10...9...8' The boys counted down the last seconds of the year together. Kenny and Cartman were busy staring at the T.V. Screen to notice Stan quickly reach for Kyle's hand, gripping it tightly. Kyle looked over at Stan, blushing. Stan continued counting as if nothing had happened. '3...2...1!'

Sure enough, in an instant the new year had arrived. The people on T.V. Were yelling and celebrating. The boys erupted in cheers and all took another sip of wine. Kyle watched the happy people celebrating on T.V. Kyle saw a couple become engaged to one another. Another camera shot shown a man holding a woman as she leaned backwards, their lips locked as the lights and confetti showered around them. The romance had somewhat bothered Kyle. He squeezed Stan's hand ofr less than a second, then released his grip. He finished the last of the wine.

Kyle set his wine glass down on the coffee table. 'I need to use the bathroom real quick.' He got up and made his way upstairs to Stan's bathroom, the boys were still cheering lightly. Kyle turned on the sink, and cool water trickled through the faucet. He leaned down and splashed some cool water in his face, making him a bit more alert. He was feeling a strong buzz from the alcohol. He was a little wobbly, and a bit dizzy.

Kyle was a bit afraid. He didn't want the night to end. He wanted to be around his friends...especially Stan, for a long time. Sadly, facts were facts. He wouldn't see any of his friends like this for a long time. He was thankful for all the memories they shared, he was glad they were able to be close friends. Kyle had truly met some great people, and perhaps a new lover. He truly would miss South Park.

Kyle opened the bathroom door to find Kenny standing just outside. 'I think I may have had to tinkle, too.' Kenny said. 'Kenny, wha-' Kyle was interrupted. Kenny pushed Kyle against the chest and back into the bathroom and locked the door behind him. Kyle regained his composure after stumbling. He rested his hand on the counter top. 'Kenny...what are you doing?' Kyle asked. Kenny reached through his orange parka and pulled out a small picture.

'Do you remember this?' Kenny asked him. Kyle took the picture from Kenny's hand and examined it. It was all four of the boys together at Stark's pond. They must have been in kindergarten. They all wore their signature hats. Kyle's was a bit too big at the time. The sides of his had came all the way down to his shoulders. Kyle chuckled at their youth. They were all so young. They were sitting on the wooden bench together, with arms around each others shoulders. 'This is when Stan's mom took us to the pond all those years ago...' Kyle reflected.

Kenny put a hand on Kyle's shoulder. 'Wherever you go, you'll always know home is where your friends are.' Kyle patted Kenny's hand. 'Thanks Ken...I'll be missing you too.' Kenny leaped forward and squeezed Kyle tightly yet again. ' Oh I'm sure you will, Kahl! You're just my bestest gay buddy ever!' Kenny said cheerfully. Kyle could smell alcohol on his breath. 'Hey...' Kenny started. 'I never DID hear back from you about Stan. How did things go?'

Kyle told Kenny about their evening together. Kenny put his hands to his face and let out a long 'Awwwww. That is just soooo cuuuute!' He stood on one foot and wrapped his arms around Kyle's neck, squeezing him yet again. 'Congratulations!' Kenny was obviously very drunk, he was always enthusiastic, but he was a little TOO happy right now.

Kyle lightly put a hand against Kenny's chest, pushing him back a little bit. 'Thanks, I guess...but it's not like we're actually OFFICIAL or anything...' Kenny seemed to understand in silence. Regardless of how they felt now, Kyle knew that a long distance relationship would be hard. He'd rather hope to come back to South Park some day, for a job or college, so he could see Stan again. Maybe later in his life they could start a real relationship. Kyle brushed past Kenny, then unlocked the bathroom door. 'Stay up here for a bit, so it doesn't look weird if we go downstairs together.' Kyle told Kenny. Kenny just nodded and Kyle shut the door then walked downstairs.

Back downstairs, he returned to see Eric laid back again on the recliner, resting his eyes. Stan raised a hand to his face, yawning. Stan was a bit sleepy. He raised a hand to his face, yawning into it. He was clearly a bit intoxicated, his eyes were red. Kyle sat down next to him. Stan scooted over a bit closer, their shoulders were touching.

Cartman shifted a bit, and opened his eyes to see Stan and Kyle back on the couch together. He sat up on the recliner. 'How are you feeling, Kahl?' Cartman asked sleepily. 'Pretty good...' Kyle replied to him. 'So do you have any big plans for Sweden, Kahl?' Cartman continued on. 'Maybe you'll...find yourself a job, or maybe even...catch a nice girl?' Cartman raised his eyebrows and locked his eyes on Kyle, seemingly examining him. Kyle felt a little nervous.

'All I know is that I'll be taking online classes out there in English. But I'll also have to learn Swedish. That's one of dad's 'requirements..' Cartman nodded. 'And do you suppose you'll visit us anytime soon?' Stan and Kyle looked at each other. Cartman seemed a bit irritated when Kyle looked back at him. 'Sorry, it's just I haven't really been given an answer yet. Hopefully I can come back really soon to see you all.'

'That'd be cool. Maybe you and I could hang out again when you visit.' Cartman offered. 'S-sure...' Kyle said. He had never actually hung out with Cartman alone before. Why was he suddenly being so affectionate? Cartman's phone sounded off and Cartman pulled up his phone. 'Oh shit...I told my mom I'd be home by one, it's one thirty now. Shit, shit.' Cartman hauled his obese self off the recliner.

'Well Kyle...' Cartman walked over to Kyle. Take care man. I'll be missing you.' Kyle stood up. 'Thanks so much Cartman, I had a great time just hanging out with everyone tonight. It was a good idea.' Cartman gave a light smile. He reached out a hand. Kyle reached for it, grabbing it. He was a bit startled when Cartman pulled his arm towards him and threw an arm around Kyle.

For a second Kyle wanted badly to squirm from Cartman's grip. But he realized it would probably be awkward. He didn't want to leave on bad terms either. 'So long Kyle...I'll be looking forward to your return.' Cartman said as he walked over to Stan's door. Cartman slipped on his shoes and winter coat and hat, and opened the door into the night. 'Oh, and Kyle.' Cartman popped his head back in. 'You are one DIRTY Jew.' He then shut the door.

Kyle tilted his head a bit. He looked down at Stan, eyes locked on the T.V. 'What the hell was that?' Kyle asked him. Stan just shrugged in response. A moment later Kenny came downstairs. 'Ugh, I'm going to have my first hangover in the morning. I want to sleep while the buzz is still good though, so I'm going to get out of here.'

'OK...' Kyle said as Kenny walked over to him. Kyle was the first to make the move this time. He wrapped his arms around Kenny and squeezed tightly. 'Kyle...too...tight.' Kenny panted out. 'Too light?' Kyle asked teasingly, and squeezed even tighter. 'Uuuunff!' Kenny let out. He then went limp as if he had died, and Kyle held his body for a moment. Stan looked over at the two. 'Oh my God, you killed Kenny!'

'You bastards!' Kenny yelled. The boys shared a laugh together. Kenny finally regained his composure and stood up. He quickly plucked off Kyle's hat. 'One more time...' Kenny said. He patted Kyle's red Jewish fro. 'Alright...' Kyle let Kenny pet his head for a good ten seconds. Kenny then pulled his hands back and held both up just beneath his chin. 'Ohooo, it feels like a sheep!' he said.

'Alright, I guess I'll get out of here, bye Stan. Take care Kyle, be sure to let me know how things are going.' Kenny plopped on his shoes and winter gear. Kyle waved to him as he left. Now it was just him and Stan, his other two friends had left. 'And then there were two...' Stan said. His friend in the red poof ball hat stood up and switched off the T.V. 'Kyle, get your coat and shoes on.'

'What, why?' Kyle asked him. 'Just do it.' Stan replied. The two geared up together. 'OK, come on.' Stan told Kyle. Kyle followed Stan to the back of his house. Stan opened up the porch door into the chilly, dark evening. A few stars were out. 'I figured we'd do something...memorable.' Stan told Kyle. Stan eyed the swingset along the back of the picket fence.

They both agreed in silence and walked up to the metal swingset. Kyle sat down on the swing seat, gripping the rusty, cold metal chains. In the dark, moonlit night, the two boys could only just barely see each other. San took the seat to the left of him, and held out one hand towards Kyle. Kyle released one of his hands and met Stan's red, gloved hand in the middle. 'Just imagine Kyle...all the places you'll go. I'm sure even though you are away from the awesomeness here, you'll find a lot of friends and meet new people. You're a smart guy...something I like.'

The two started gathering momentum and swung together. The alchohol was starting to wear off on Kyle, and Stan seemed a bit more sober too. 'Stan...' Kyle let out. 'If I come back...would you be my boyfriend?' Stan was silent for a moment at the question. 'Kyle, we'll see each other again, I know we will.' Snowflakes began to fall to the ground. Kyle's eyes started to well up. 'It's just not fair...'

Stan was silent for a few seconds. 'It's not like you're losing us. Trust me, you're smart. When you get older, and have a job and can be on your own, I promise we'll see each other all the time, as much as you want.' Stan told him. His friend released his grip on Kyle, and dug his feet into the ground, stopping his motion.

He stood up and walked over to Kyle, holding out his red mittened hand. 'You know how much you mean to me.' Stan said. He saw his own friends eyes starting to water. Kyle reached out and gently gripped Stan's hand. Stan used his other hand to reach into his pocket as Kyle stood up to meet height with his friend. Stan pulled out a small pocket knife.

'Woah...' Kyle said, a bit surprised at the sharp blade. 'Come over here.' Stan led Kyle behind the swingset towards one of the metal poles. Stan unlocked the knife and began to carve the shape of a heart in the metal. The knife scratched against it lightly. Stan carved the shape of a heart. 'I need something to remember you by, too.' Kyle used his free hands to grip Stan's hand, still clenching the knife. 'Let's write it together.'

'Well, we have to write 'Style.' Stan told him. 'What? Why?' Kyle asked. Stan looked at Kyle for a moment. Kyle was clueless. 'Stan and Kyle...as a couple...'Style.' Stan said with a grin. 'Oh!' Kyle replied, a bit embarrassed. 'Ok, Style it is.'

Kyle had never expected what these past few weeks had brought him. One minute he'd been out here during the night, crying and hoping that Stan could be with him forever. Now, in the dark night as snow fell, here he was, with the one he loved, carving their couple name together inside a heart on the swingset, a memorable place for the both of them. They finished writing it, it surprisingly looked very neat.

Stan pulled his hand away from Kyle and locked the knife, and slipped it back into his pocket. The two boys gripped each others hands, and stared into each others eyes. All of the memories they had shared, they could see in each others eyes. Maybe they were more than friends, more than lovers. Kyle thought Stan was his soul mate. He could feel Stan's energy. He admired everything about him, and he never wanted to let go.

'Happy New Year, Kyle.' Stan said. 'And happy New Year to you, Stan...' The two embraced each other and locked their lips. Kyle savored every kiss, every second he was close with Stan. He worked his tongue inside Stan's mouth, he could taste the wine on his tongue. Time continued flowing...

And the snow kept falling...


	11. SM: Two Summers Later

**_Author's Note:_**_ Hey, fellow readers! I've finally gotten the second 'season' all laid out. Now I just have to type out all the action. :) I'm really glad to bring you the next chapter in this story. I'm really looking forward to sharing it with everyone. So far I've gotten some great reviews, and thank you for all the positive feedback I've been given. This next chapter takes place nearly __**1 1/2**__ years since the events of Chapter 10. I'm really excited about the timeskip and am looking forward to adding more drama, action, and romance._

_Please consider leaving a review to let me know if you like this chapter, I'd really appreciate it. :)_

Chapter 11 - Two Summers Later

**POV: **Stan Marsh

'Ok children, everyone have a great summer!' Mr. Garrison said from behind his teachers desk. The school bell rung out for the last time of the year. The classroom instantly erupted with cheers and the rapid movement of students. A few students, such as Clyde and Token, dashed for the classroom door, wanting to be the first ones outside. A few other students moved a bit slower, taking their time to talk with their friends.

'Craig, come on, let's go to the beach!' Wendy said at one end of the room. 'Wh-Wha?' Craig started. His question was interrupted by Wendy grabbing ahold of his wrist firmly. Craig blushed as Wendy tugged on his arm. She started walking with him, but moments later broke into a fast pace. Craig and Wendy dashed out of the room together, laughing. By the time their laughter had dissapeared all the other students but one had left the classroom.

A black haired boy was zipping up his backpack on top of his desk. Another year was completed, which meant summer was finally here. It was a special time for the citizens of South Park. Summers were typically short in the Colorado town, so the towns residents soaked up every minute of the summer festivities. It was almost like another holiday to them.

The black haired boy slung his blue backpack over his shoulders, and headed over to the classroom door. Mr. Garrison looked up from his desk as his last student was about to leave. 'Have a great summer, Stanley.' Stan turned around and gave a wave. 'Thanks, you too.'

Stan walked through the hallways, clutching his backpack straps. The only sound he could hear was his footsteps against the hard school tile. Stan had only experienced a silence like this a few times at school. He passed his locker, taking a moment to look at it in memory. His gaze was averted when a human figure suddenly jumped out in front of him, arms extended in the air. 'Staaaaaaaaaaan!'

Suddenly arms ran underneath Stan's armpits and squeezed him tightly. Stan leaned back slightly. He finally realized it was none other than Kenny. The blond had grown a little bit taller, but not by a whole lot. His hair still remained the same as ever. Kenny shook Stan around in his arms. 'OK! OK!' Stan said, annoyed. He lifted a hand to Kenny's chest and pressed him back lightly.

Kenny was a bit bouncy from excitement. 'Come on! They brought a bunch of water balloons to the school, all the kids are having a water balloon fight out front, come on!' Kenny said eagerly. Without notice he reached for Stan's wrist, gripped it tightly, and began a fast pace towards the front of the school. 'God dammit, Ken.' Stan grumbled as he ran along with Kenny. 'You know, you always get excited like this.' Kenny turned his head to grin at Stan mid-stride. 'That's me alright.'

Within less than a minute they burst through the front school doors. Laughter filled the front yard of the school as students were running around, throwing water balloons and soaking one another with water guns. There were large buckets full of water balloons spread all across the front of the school.

Stan noticed Clyde had a large water gun. He pumped it and sprayed it on an unsuspecting Token, who's back was towards him. Token turned around, and looked at Clyde with playful annoyance before breaking into a sprint to pelt the brown haired boy with a water balloon to the back.

'You know what to do.' Kenny said. He released Stan's wrist and the two dropped their backpacks on the school steps. 'Let's do it.' Stan said. The two ran down the steps together. They sprinted for a bucket, and grabbed a few water balloons each. As Stan looked around to examine the situation, he was suddenly met with the sight of rubber flying straight for his face. He squatted down to dodge it. It flew over his head, but a moment later he felt some water splash on his hair and trickle down his neck. He looked behind him to see a soaked Kenny McCormick. He looked back ahead of him to see Clyde Donovan with a water balloon in one hand. He was bouncing it up and down in the air, smirking at Kenny.

'Clyde...' Kenny said in playful annoyance. 'I will...have...VENGEANCE! He took off in a full sprint after Clyde. The two boys laughed as they engaged in liquid warfare. Stan followed after Kenny, running after Clyde, hoping to pelt him. As Clyde ran, he twisted around to launch a water balloon. It soared through the air, missing both Stan and Kenny, landing far off to the side. As Clyde kept running, he pumped his water gun. He twisted again after several pumps, extending one arm towards Stan.

He pulled the plastic trigger and water gushed out. Stan was instantly soaked. He kept running into the water as Clyde soaked him, Stan was catching up to him. As long as he could soak Clyde back in some way, that was all that mattered at this time. Kenny laughed at the newly soaked Stan as they continued all around the front of the lawn, in hot pursuit of Clyde.

When Stan was a few feet from Clyde, he readied a water balloon. He stopped for a moment to aim carefully at Clyde. He pulled his arm back to gather energy, then pitched it hard. Stan was pleased when the water balloon exploded against Clyde's face, and water trickled down his brown hair. Stan and Kenny both laughed, and Kenny threw another balloon at Clyde, which soaked against his back. Clyde kept running, and Kenny continued after him.

Stan had to take a moment to stop because he was laughing so much. He hadn't had fun like this in a long time. Kenny was a great friend to him, always enthusiastic and fun to be around. Stan began breathing normally after awhile, his laughter had subsided. He hadn't laughed so much with a friend like this in a long time.

The sky was a cloudless blue. Stan gazed up at the sky. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was warm out. Stan had an empty feeling in his heart. 'I wonder how you are...' he thought silently. A moment later Kenny ran over to Stan, and hugged one of his arms. 'Come on, let's go to the beach!' The beach was a rare activity during the year, but many people flocked to it to enjoy it while they could.

'I think that sounds great.' Stan said. He ran over to his backpack, still on the school steps. Him and Kenny had both wanted to go to the beach to celebrate another school year being done, they had both packed bathing suits to take with them. The two boys extended their arms through their backpack straps, and a moment later began walking towards the beach.

'Wow, this will be SO awesome!' Kenny said. It was about a ten minute walk to the beach, so Kenny and Stan had plenty of time to themselves as they trekked along the sidewalk. The beach was located about a mile away from Stark's Pond, so most of the walk was through familiar territory.

The scenery eventually changed as they neared the lake. Stan and Kenny cut across the road towards a large playground. A few kids were running around the playground, zipping down the slides and swinging across the monkey bars. A little ways off, there was a large area with picnic tables, which was shaded by a large roof overhead. A few parents sat here, talking with other adults and watching their kids.

Just past all of this was where most of the activity was happening. Kids were being buried in the sand, playing volleyball in the water, or just walking along the beach. The nice thing was, while the area was very crowded, a lot of the surrounding area was wilderness. Stan knew of a place where him and Kenny would most likely be alone and enjoy the water and sand themselves.

'Come on, I know of a perfect spot.' Stan told his friend. The two walked together past the playground and down into the sandy area. Stan turned right and walked along the sand, away from the others and towards the wilderness. The sand felt loose beneath his feet, he couldn't wait to walk barefoot in it. As the two walked along, Kenny reached both arms behind his head, elbows extended far out. 'So Stan...' Kenny looked over at him. 'How'd you find this place we're going?'

'Kyle and I found it a long time ago...' Stan said, remembering. As he walked along, he stared blankly ahead at the lapping waters against the shore. Eventually, all the noise and splashes coming from the beach-goers had vanished, only the nature and the water lapping was all that could be heard. 'We must have walked two miles by now.' Kenny complained. 'We're almost there, Ken.' Stan reaffirmed his friend.

About a minute later Stan noticed the familiar change of direction the beach was leading them in. The sand bank directly ahead of them led to water, but there was a path that twisted to the right. The wilderness around them had grown denser. Tall, heavy rocks rose high above the boys heads. Finally, the two boys reached the sand bank and turned right. Kenny looked at where Stan had led him to, and dropped his jaw at the sight.

'This...This is incredible!' He said. He broke off in a sprint across the Sand. Stan followed slowly, chuckling at the blond. The area Stan had led Kenny to was a large, U-shaped gorge. The lake seemed very well rounded, but here the waters had pushed in quite a bit. Around them, tall, hard walls rose above their heads. Trees were growing atop these walls towards the edge of the cliffs, providing some shade in a few different spots. Stan and Kenny had a lot of privacy, it was nothing but the wilderness and this gorge, all to themselves.

There was a large rock at the far end of the gorge. 'I'm going to change behind there.' Kenny called to Stan as he neared it. The blond dissapeared behind it a moment later. Stan stayed back, and leaned against the hard wall nearby and kicked off his shoes and removed his socks, placing them neatly inside his shoes. He felt every grain of sand sink between his toes.

It felt good, and warm. Stan paced a little bit along the shore, the water lightly lapped at his feet. The sun was still high in the sky as he walked along. 'I still wish you were here...you know. I don't know what you are doing, but I hope you're still thinking of me...'

'Stan!' Kenny called. Stan turned back towards the rock, to see Kenny had changed into his bathing suit. He was still generally skinny as always. He had a little muscle, but not much. Kenny ran for the water, his legs kicked up water around him as he submerged. When he was deep enough he grabbed his nose and dived underwater.

Stan giggled at Kenny's excitement. He had always been cute in his own little way, Stan thought. Stan was never overly mean about Kenny hugging him all the time. Kenny had seemed to love everyone, it was just a trait he had. Stan walked over to the walk and behind it, being shaded by the trees above the cliffs.

He unzipped his backpack and pulled out his dark blue swim trunks. His back leaned against the hard, warm rock. He could still hear Kenny splashing wildly. He reached down for his pants button and zipper. A moment later he was standing there, naked. He was reminded of when him and Kyle were in the locker room that night they had broke into the school together.

He slipped on his blue swim trunks and removed his T-shirt. He tightened his trunks with his string and stepped out from behind the rock. As he exited from behind, he first noticed the sight of Kenny jumping out from under the water. He tilted his head backwards, face towards the sky. Water trickled down his blond hair and down his chest. He stood up straight and began rubbing his eyes. A moment later Kenny looked up to see Stan approaching. 'Wow Stan, have you been working out?!' he complimented him, gazing at his chest.

'Well, maybe a little...' Stan told him, a bit flattered. He had visited the gym a few times to lift weights, but never did anything serious. 'You HAVE at least gotten taller though.' Kenny told him. Stan had definitely grown a few inches over time. His hair was a bit longer too, down to his eyebrows now. It had been one and a half years since Kyle had departed. Stan had found a great friendship in Kenny. He was always fun to be around, and was always positive. He really was a good person, Stan could tell.

Kenny had typically been the 'backup friend' for Stan and Kyle. Whenever Stan or Kyle couldn't hang out together, Kenny was always readily available to hang out with them. He had always been a quality friend to Stan and Kyle, especially to Kyle. Kenny had rarely spoken about Kyle though, Stan figured he didn't want to trouble him with memories.

Stan and Kenny had played in the water together until the sun set low in the sky, turning it into dark orange. Stan was underneath the water, holding his nose. Stan always felt it had been strange to be underwater. It was as if it was a whole other world. When Stan couldn't hold his breath anymore, he burst out from the top of the water. By the time he had rubbed his eyes and opened them, Kenny was still underwater. The blond finally popped up a few seconds later.

'My God, Ken. How do you do it?' Stan asked him. Kenny rubbed his eyes and blinked at Stan. 'Oh, you know...it just comes naturally.' The blond brushed his hand along the water, making light trails. 'Well, I think I'm getting out.' Stan said. He walked back to shore and went to his backpack, still behind the rock. He unzipped it, and returned to the other side of the rock with a beach towel. He laid it on the sand, and sat down on it, putting his back against the rock. It felt warm against his back.

Kenny came to shore less than a minute later, and did the same as Stan. Kenny laid out his own towel next to Stan, and took a seat next to his friend. Kenny hunched forward, hugging his knees. 'You know...' Kenny said. 'I'm having a lot of fun with you.' Kenny gazed at the sun in the distance. 'I had a great time.' Stan told him. 'Definitely a good way to start off the summer.'

The two sat together in silence, looking at the sunset. Stan was filled with memories. Him and Kyle had discovered this place a long time ago. They had snuck out at night during the summer so they could have the beach entirely to themselves. Stan felt a longing for Kyle to be there with him. His heart ached, and felt empty without him nearby.

'Stan...' Kenny began. 'I know this might be kind of weird to ask, but do you actually talk to Kyle? It's just...I haven't heard from him, and was wondering if you had.' Stan looked over at the blond. Stan hadn't talked to Kyle since he had left for Sweden. He had tried to get in touch Kyle through several emails, online phone calls, and even by writing letters, but nothing had been returned to Stan. 'I've tried, but he hasn't gotten back to me.'

'Oh...' Kenny said, in a tone hinting he wanted to say more. Stan frowned. 'I do miss him...' Kenny rested his chin between his knees. 'I know you do.' Kenny replied. Stan leaned forward and hugged his knees, mimicking Kenny exactly. 'Do you think he'll come back soon?' Stan asked.

The blond scratched the back of his head. 'I honestly couldn't tell you...' The two stared ahead in silence. Kenny stood up a moment later. 'I'm going to grab some water real quick.' Kenny dissapeared behind the rock, and returned a moment later with a blue water bottle.

Stan lowered his back off the rock and laid back on his towel. He reached both arms behind his head to use as a cushion. Kenny approached his towel. In an instant, he had bumped his foot against something and was wobbling for balance. He clumsily fell towards Stan. In a panic, Kenny had adjusted his limbs so that he wouldn't hit Stan. A second later Kenny was straddling Stan across his waist, his arms planted firmly next to his head.

The momentum had brought Kenny and Stan inches from each others face. The two stared at each other. Stan stared into Kenny's deep blue eyes. The two had to take a moment to digest what just happened. As they stared at each other, their faces turned hot red. Kenny stood back up quickly. 'S-sorry!' he said, embarrassed. 'I really didn't mean to do that!' Kenny turned his bright red face away. He scratched the back of his hair.

'We should probably get going, Ken...' Stan told him. 'R-Right.' Kenny said, embarrassed. The two boys packed up the last of their things, and washed their feet in the water before plopping on their shoes and shirts to begin heading home. They walked back along the beach together.

Kenny broke what seemed like a long silence. 'Can I ask you another thing, Stan?' Kenny said as they strolled along. 'What, Ken?' Kenny didn't appear to be looking at anything in particular. 'Well...' Kenny blushed a bit. 'Would you say I'm your best friend right now?' Stan froze in place, Kenny paused, surprised, and looked over at him. 'It's just...we've hung out a lot more than what we used to.' Stan gave Kenny a light, warm smile. 'You AND Kyle are my best friends. Don't know what I'd do without either of you.'

'Do you always get this sappy?' Stan asked Kenny, half-jokingly. Kenny seemed to have a more serious expression as he spoke next. 'Well...it's only natural to want to know where I stand. After all, I am Kenny, the coolest, most awesome person in existence.'

Stan and Kenny were walking away from the lake a few minutes later. As they passed the playground, Stan saw Wendy and Craig sitting on the monkey bars, holding hands. Stan had remembered when he was dating her, he still did miss the feelings and emotions that came with love. He wanted so badly for Kyle to be next to him right now, holding his hand.

'Kyle...where are you?'


	12. WT: Cold

**_Author's _****Note:** _Hello fellow readers! I'm glad to bring you all yet another chapter in my FanFiction! The story is coming along nicely, I'm still so surprised I made a story this long. (I thought I'd be done in just 4 chapters!) I'm really grateful for everyone who has taken the time to review. All follows/favs are nice too. Though really, it is the amount of views that inspire me. I have had quite a few people read through my entire FanFction so far, and I'm really glad I can make something that interests others. As requested, please consider leaving a review of the chapter. I really hope you all enjoy, have fun! :)_

Chapter 12 – Cold

**POV:** Wendy Testaburger

'Another beautiful day...' Wendy thought to herself as she sat on the hard wooden bench overlooking Stark's Pond. She gazed out across the calm grey waters, silently churning from the light breeze. Wendy could feel every skin cell on her face being heated from the sun's bright rays. She enjoyed the outdoors, it made her feel free.

Wendy took a slow inhale. The air felt fresh as she breathed. The scenery had changed quite a bit since summer had arrived. All the trees that had been bare during the winter had grown back fresh green leaves. It seemed as if summer made South Park more lively.

Wendy was so fixated on enjoying the nature she didn't realize a warm breath next to her ear. 'Hey!' A familiar, monotone voice barked next to her. She jumped, startled. She twisted herself around to see the familiar face of Craig Tucker looking down at her with his dark eyes. 'Don't scare me like that!' Wendy reached out and gave Craig a light push against his stomach. Craig let out the lightest breath from her touch.

Wendy smiled lightly at Craig, who wore his usual plain face. 'Well, it was your turn to choose the date, what would you like to do?' she asked. Craig looked around the pond, analyzing the area. They were the only people at Stark's Pond. 'Want to go for a walk?' Craig held out a hand, palm up. Wendy nodded pleasingly. 'Of course!' She extended a hand towards Craig, placing it on top of his. He gripped her hand lightly and ran his thumb around her knuckles as she stood up.

'Where to?' Wendy asked. 'Just around.' Craig replied. Craig began walking down towards the pond. He walked alongside the waters with Wendy. Another breeze rippled the calm waters. The wind blew on Wendy's hair, sending some loose strands in front of her face, tickling her. She reached up to brush her loose hair behind her ears. The nature calmed Wendy, having Craig with her made her feel safe.

'So...' Craig started in his plain voice. 'How are your parents?' Wendy stared at the ground as she walked with him. 'Oh...they are doing alright.' Wendy told him, a bit hesitant to his question. Wendy had been raised in a strict fashion. Her parents had always been highly demanding of her. Wendy was expected to be perfectly clean, academically smart, and achieve above and beyond. It wasn't easy to live with parents who commanded you to be the way they wanted.

The forcefulness of her parents made her feel fake at home. A lot of times Wendy had to smile and agree with her parents when they were unfair. She wondered if she enjoyed being outside so much because she wanted to be away from her parents. When she was with Craig, Wendy felt as if she could be herself. She didn't have to be overly polite or act fancy all the time. She gripped Craig's hand a bit tighter.

Craig watched a couple of birds fly overhead and dissapear over some trees. 'Who would have thought...one and a half years of us being together.' Wendy spoke. Wendy could see the corners of Craig's lips raise. It always pleased Wendy to see him smile. 'Yeah...who would have thought?' Craig repeated. Wendy was the next to speak. 'You know...we've both changed a little bit...' Wendy continued.

Wendy had definitely acknowledged they both changed in their own ways. Craig had grown a few inches taller, and his hair had grown out bit longer. One of his eyes was nearly hidden by a long swoop of black hair across his forehead. Wendy maintained her same, usual hair, but her body had developed more.

Wendy knew that her and Craig didn't only change physically. Being around Craig taught her to relax and enjoy herself. Craig had accepted her just the way she was. Wendy was able to laugh around him, talk to him how she wanted, and rely on him. He was sometimes very quiet, but he charmed her nonetheless.

Craig had also helped Wendy forget about Stan, because Craig was all she thought about. Stan was now a minimal thought in her mind. All of her regrets, pain, and heartbreak seemed to subside with Craig's presence. Something about the way Craig was soothed Wendy's feelings. He had a way of making her feel wanted and valued.

Stan didn't have that same effect on her. She felt he had spent a lot of time making plans and commitments with Kyle instead of her. Her jealousy had partly influenced her decision to find someone new. While she still held the same feelings from before towards Stan, she did little to take time to remember. She felt it was trivial to think about a past relationship when dating someone new.

Craig suddenly paused at the far end of Stark's Pond. 'Let's stop here.' he said. He released his hand from Wendy and took a seat in the grass, facing towards the pond. Wendy sat down next to him in the same fashion. Wendy looked over at Craig's face. He seemed to have a faraway stare, as if he was deep in thought about something. She had seen him look that way a few times. Wendy reached out and slid one arm around his, squeezing it. 'This was a great idea, I'm having a great time.' Wendy told him. Craig remained silent.

Craig's silence was something Wendy had always wondered about him. She was always curious about what he was thinking. He was mysterious sometimes, and this drew Wendy to him more. She wanted to know more about him. He would usually make jokes, tell stories of others, but hardly ever talked about himself. Wendy had waited for him to open up to her, though the truth was Craig was still a mystery to her.

'My parents say they want to have you over again.' Wendy told him. 'Though I'm not sure you'd want to have to be Mr-' She poked Craig in the side for each word she said: 'Handsome-Young-Gentleman-Craig.' Craig giggled for a second. He looked down at the grass, grinned, then looked forward in the distance again. 'I guess they must like me, huh?' Wendy forced herself to nod in response. Sadly, Craig's assumption was terribly wrong.

A year ago Wendy had decided to tell her parents she had been dating Craig. She wanted to tell them sooner, but the worry of what her parents might do weighed on her shoulders. The more she saw how her parents were seemingly perfect, proper people, the more she didn't want to introduce Craig to them. She was worried they would be judgmental. She remembered the night she had finally told her parents...her mind replayed what had happened a year ago.

The Testaburger family had sat down at the dinner table. Wendy sat at the side of the table. Her parents had taken a seat at the far ends of the table. Wendy had been quiet during dinner. Her mother and father sipped on fine wine silently as Wendy picked at her pasta. After everyone at the table had finished eating, her mother stood up to gather everyones plates and utensils.

'Fantastic dinner, dear.' Wendy's father complimented his wife as she took his plate from underneath him. Her father picked up the napkin from his lap and dabbed his lips evenly. Her mother had strolled off into the kitchen behind Wendy. Wendy heard the sound of her mother turning on the sink water. It was a sound she usually heard after dinner, her mother always had a routine to do the dishes right away.

Wendy had remained at the table for a few moments, she couldn't will herself to speak. Her father reached down by his chair, and pulled up the daily newspaper, still wrapped in fuzzy string. Her father always enjoyed reading the newspaper after dinner. He undid the string and fluffed up the newspaper, reading its contents. The silence was eating at Wendy. She knew any second her parents would wonder why she was still hanging around instead of going to her room like usual.

Wendy's eyes were fixed on the back of her fathers newspaper. She couldn't see his face. He turned the page, crumpling the paper loudly. Wendy couldn't stand the silence anymore, she wanted to get her confession over with. She silently wished herself good luck and forced her lips to move. 'I need to tell you both something...'she had choked out.

Her father slowly lowered his newspaper halfway, raising his head to look over it at her. She heard the running water from the sink behind her cease. She heard her mother move towards the table. In a matter of minutes, that which she had hoped wouldn't happen became a reality.

'He's a wonderful person! You just don't know him!' Wendy said in frustration. Her mother had returned to her place at the long end of the table. Wendy looked at her, then darted her gaze towards her father. Wendy could see the chandelier above the table reflect in his glasses. Mr. Testaburger pointed his index finger toward the bridge of his nose, and nudged the connecting piece between his lens, adjusting his glasses. 'Love...' he began. 'I just don't want to see anything happen to you.'

Her parents looked at each other, and her mother gave a slight nod of agreement. Wendy's anger was rising steadily. They hadn't even considered what she wanted. She felt they were being very unfair, and selfish. Her parents looked at her, Wendy felt hot from pressure. Her father broke the silence. 'We're just concerned, honey. I've heard about this 'Craig Tucker' at school. I've heard he's a troublemaker. Your mother and I are just worried you may end up getting into a bad situation with him. I'm sure there are plenty of other boys out there who have better values.' Wendy stood up quickly in anger.

'I don't care about your 'values!' she argued. 'I want someone who 'I' can like, not someone you want me to like!' Wendy was shocked when her parents didn't retaliate to her yelling. After a brief pause, Wendy spoke again, more calmly. 'I want to be with him. He makes me happy...he's a great person. You don't even know him...so please...' Wendy felt a lump in her throat. Her eyes were starting to water. 'Please...just offer him a chance. Meet him once, I'm sure you two will like him...'

Her parents avoided her gaze for what seemed like an eternity. Her mother finally looked up at Wendy. 'Sit down, sweet.' she said calmly. Wendy felt as if she knew what was coming. She angrily slumped back down into her chair, crossing her arms defensively. Her parents watched her without saying a word. Wendy couldn't find any words to say. Her frustration overwhelmed her. A tear finally burst, leaving a red streak down her face. She lifted a hand and rubbed the back of it against her eyes.

She had cried for nearly a minute before her mother finally spoke. 'I think your father and I need to talk.' Wendy shut everything else out as she cried into her hand. She heard her parents stand up and walk away from the table. Their footsteps eventually dissapeared and Wendy sat at the table alone. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself. 'At least they are talking...' she thought. 'Maybe a miracle will happen.' Wendy didn't have high hopes, however.

Sometimes Wendy felt like she hated her parents. She hated that they could get away with choosing her lifestyle. They forced all their opinions, rules, and ridiculous expectations on her. Wendy could never truly feel herself at home. Craig was her medicine, she needed him to feel free. He was an addiction to her. Even if her parents forced her to not see Craig, Wendy vowed she'd do whatever she could so that they would remain together.

A grandfather clock chimed throughout the house as Wendy composed herself. She was breathing more evenly now, calmed down from deep breaths. Her face was still red from crying, but no more tears fell down her face. Wendy was tired from waiting, she desperately wanted to sleep. At least sleep was a brief escape from reality.

She suddenly heard the movement of her parents from behind. Wendy looked down at the table, avoiding their eyes. When they both returned to where they had been seated earlier, Wendy allowed herself to examine their faces. She couldn't tell by their expressions what they had decided. She silently prayed that they would allow her to see Craig.

Her father let out a huff and interlocked his fingers. He leaned forward on the table, his elbows rubbed against the wood. 'Your mother and I have came to a decision. She thinks you should be allowed to have a chance with this 'Craig.' Well...' her father glanced briefly at her mother, and back to Wendy. 'We've decided that you may still date Craig.'

In an instant Wendy felt as if she had grown wings and could fly. She was surprised at the freedom her parents had given her. Her mouth dropped and worked its way into a smile. She wasn't sure what to say. She let out a breath of relief. 'T-Thank you...' she said sincerely. 'Thank you, thank you so much. I'm so hap-' her words were cut off by her father. 'But...'

Wendy's happiness was quickly put on hold. The realization hit her there was going to be some sort of condition. 'You are to invite him over here tomorrow night. We're only giving you this chance because you insisted he was a good person. Mind you though, if I hear something I don't like, that will be the end of you two, end of story.'

Wendy wasn't sure if she should be relieved, or worried. She felt as if she was being choked by an invisible hand. She wanted to speak against them, but she knew any rebellion would result in her parents disliking Craig, thus them wanting their relationship to end.

The night after her confession, Craig was knocking on her front door. Wendy answered it. Craig was wearing black skinny jeans and a blue T-shirt. Wendy was wearing slightly fancier shirt, she felt Craig would seem a little under dressed to her parents. To Wendy's surprise, both of her parents had been extremely friendly towards Craig, regardless of his wardrobe selection.

Her parents had both met Craig with friendly faces and warm smiles. Wendy watched as Craig gripped both of their hands, introducing himself. She was grateful Craig was at least polite. He was fairly reserved, but was polite and sociable when he needed to be. Though it was true he enjoyed being quiet more, Wendy felt it was a form of silent expression.

The dinner itself hadn't been the most pleasant, but luckily Wendy's parents hadn't pushed questions on Craig. They asked him general questions. They inquired about his academics, sports, interests, hobbies, but luckily didn't seem to interrogate him. Craig kept his responses fairly simple and short, but remained polite towards them. Wendy could sense his nervousness.

She was more than relieved when the dinner had ended. She could sense some urgency in Craig when he looked out the window after they had all finished dinner. 'Well, I better go...' Craig said as he stood out of his chair, placing the napkin on the table next to his plate. 'Thank you for the dinner, Ms. Testaburger. It was great.' Wendy's mother smiled at him and nodded. 'It was great to have you, Craig.'

'I'll walk you to the front door.' Wendy offered Craig. Craig waited for Wendy to show him the way. When they had left the dining room, away from the sight of her parents, Wendy gripped Craig's upper arm softly with her hand. He looked down at her. 'Sorry, I hope that wasn't too bad.' she told him with a light smile. 'They seem like nice people.' Craig said flatly. 'I have to go home and feed Stripes, otherwise I would stay...if they wanted me.'

Part of Wendy wanted Craig to stay, so she could be around him for comfort. Another part of Wendy acknowledged the fact that if he stayed it may cause trouble for the both of them. Wendy realized the best thing for her to do would be to let Craig go home to avoid any issues. 'I'll see you later.' Craig embraced Wendy briefly.

Wendy watched with sadness as Craig opened the front door. She savored the sight of him every second up until he shut the door. She touched her temple with her fingers. She was so frustrated at the situation. She wanted to go cool off in her room. Sometimes she could relax there.

'Huh...' she jumped at a voice behind her. She slowly turned around to see her dad gazing at her through his glasses. 'He didn't seem to talk much...' Wendy looked away from her father towards the wall, avoiding eye contact with him. 'Look at me.' her father said. Wendy gathered all of her inner strength to meet his eyes. He slowly approached her. He stopped in front of her, his height towering over her. 'Just remember, your relationship is at our mercy.'

Back in the present, Craig was running a stick through the surface of the water, sending light ripples across the pond. Sunset was fast approaching. She had spent most of her day with Craig. He was always a pleasure to be around, even if it was just sitting next to him and enjoying nature together.

She reached over and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly. 'I'm glad I'm with you...' she told him. Craig's face lit up bright red. Wendy thought it was cute that he still got embarrassed when romance was involved. Wendy had a boyfriend before, but Craig had never been with anyone else. She hoped she would be the only one for him.

Craig's cell phone vibrated in his pocket. Wendy released her grip from around his neck and sat back down on the grass. Craig pulled out his phone and turned the screen away from Wendy's view. She watched him with curiosity. Craig tapped his fingers on his phone then froze suddenly. He stared at the screen for a few moments in silence. His eyes portrayed something Wendy couldn't describe. Craig stood up suddenly. 'I'm sorry Wendy, I need to go home.'

Wendy felt saddened at the fact that yet another date with Craig was ending, and so soon. She wanted to have him all night. She had hoped she could star-gaze with him tonight. It was something she had secretly planned for, but Craig had to be committed to something else. 'I'm really sorry.' Craig said in his monotone voice. 'My parents said they want me home right now.'

Wendy stood up alongside him. 'I see...well can I walk you home?' Craig looked at her hesitantly. 'I don't know if that'd be a good idea...' Craig had actually never mentioned his parents to her throughout their entire relationship. Wendy had asked him questions about them, but he always avoided the subject or gave her a short answer. Though she felt he would open up to her when he was ready. Still though...she couldn't help but feel bothered by the fact Craig hadn't offered her to be introduced to his parents.

'Craig...' Wendy started. 'I don't mean to pry...but why can't I walk you home?' Craig returned a hard gaze to her. 'Because...they are a bit different. I'm not sure what they want, but they didn't sound too happy.' He hadn't really answered her question, but she bit her tongue. 'I'm sorry, Wendy. We'll do something again soon, OK?'

Craig began walking back across Stark's pond. Wendy followed him until she came near the wooden bench. 'I'm going to stay here for awhile...goodbye Craig, I had a great time.' Craig smiled. He leaned forward to peck her on the cheek. His warm lips against her was something she loved to feel. 'Goodbye, Wendy.' Craig turned back towards the trees and walked into the woods, eventually dissapearing from her sight.

Wendy took it upon herself to walk over to the bench. She sat down on it, tapping her fingers along the seat. She laid across it, resting her back against the hard wood as she looked up at the sky. 'I'll just wait here until it gets dark...' she thought to herself. The sun was setting now, it wouldn't be long before the stars would come out. Wendy closed her eyes, taking time to relax and think to herself. She felt sleep attempting to take her over. She tried to fight it, but eventually her thoughts flowed together, and she slipped into unconsciousness.

When she awoke she saw countless stars above her head. She was unsure of the time, but she knew she had slept for at least an hour. Wendy felt a bit groggy, and tried to wake herself up by remembering the star patterns. Wendy darted her eyes across the sky, looking for constellations.

She saw Sagittarius, the Little Dipper, and the Milky Way...Her stargazing was interrupted by her freezing up at the sound of footsteps approaching from behind the bench. She sat up quickly, looking in the direction of the noise. A human figure was standing a few feet from her, she froze in fear. Her eyes adjusted to the sight of the person. She was relieved, yet a bit nervous when she recognized a familiar face. She was looking at someone she could never forget.

'Wendy?' Stan asked in surprise. 'Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you...' he raised his hands up defensively. 'I'll just...go somewhere else.' He began to walk away when Wendy called out to him. 'Stan...you can stay if you want, it's OK.' Stan twisted around to look back her. 'Really...I can go somewhere else, it's not an issue.'

'Stan...' Wendy said. She kicked her feet off the bench and planted them to the ground. There was a space next to her for another person. 'Why don't you sit with me?' Wendy couldn't believe she had just asked her ex-boyfriend to sit with her. What was she thinking?

'Are you sure?' Stan asked, a bit surprised. 'Absolutely.' Wendy said. She was surprised at her kindness towards Stan. Stan walked over next to her and Wendy avoided his gaze. She leaned back and stared at the stars as he sat next to her quietly. The two sat next to each other in silence, Wendy could feel an awkward tension. 'What have I done?' she asked herself.

'You know...' Stan started. 'We haven't really talked a lot, you know?... How have you been?' Wendy thought about the stress of worrying over Craig and living with her parents. 'I'm doing OK.' she lied to him. They shared an awkward moment of silence. 'How are you?'

'I'm enjoying my summer.' Stan told her. 'I came down here on my own because this place brings back a lot of memories for me.' Wendy suddenly realized in horror that they had been sitting at the exact same place when she had broken up with Stan for good. She hoped he was referring to another memory, and wondered if he was referring to their break-up.

Wendy had to admit she did miss the time she had spent with Stan. She still felt an invisible bond between the two of them. She wasn't sure what Stan thought of her now, but she assumed he didn't like her much. Wendy figured she should probably leave to avoid any further tension. 'Well, I should probably head back now...' Wendy told him.

She stood up slowly. Wendy looked down at Stan, who was gazing blankly at the waters. 'Goodbye...Stan.' Stan remained silent as Wendy walked away from the bench. As Wendy approached the trees, a gust of wind picked up. She turned her head back towards the bench, and could make out Stan's black hair being lightly blown from the wind.

Wendy didn't know why, but she felt uneasy watching Stan sit there by himself. While she had been eager to leave, she felt as if something was silently willing her to go back to him. Something in Wendy's intuition told her something was bothering Stan. She suppressed her feelings when she thought about Craig.

'He's nothing.' Wendy turned away from Stan and walked into the darkness.


	13. CT: Blackout

**_Author's Note:_**_Craig finally gets another chapter! I'm glad I was able to give him another, I like Craig. :) I hope you are all enjoying my FanFiction so far, hopefully Chapter 13 won't be unlucky for me...I am always available for a PM if you would like to talk or ask any questions, or even make suggestions. Please, __**REVIEW,REVIEW,REVIEW!**__ I really look forward to seeing more feedback from my dedicated readers. _

_I'll try to update the chapters as soon as I can! Hope you are enjoying season 2! :D_

Chapter 13 – Blackout

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Craig Tucker laid back on his bed, resting his head against a pillow. Stripes, his guinea pig, squeaked as he walked around Craig's chest. Craig could feel the little rodents feet lightly scratch him through his shirt. He ran his hand down Stripe's soft back. Craig reached for a bag he had set on his nightstand, and pulled out a small yogurt treat. He held it out to stripes, who happily accepted the offer. The little rodent began nibbling away at his gift, squeaking in delight.

'At least your good company.' Craig said to Stripes as he stroked his back. Craig had to admit, as far as friendship went, Stripes was like his best friend. He had Stripes from the time he was very little. Stripes skittered off Craig's chest and plopped down onto his bed, sniffing around the fabric. Craig was grateful he at least had him for company while he was home.

Craig leaned forward and scooped up Stripes with both hands. He sat up on his bed and put Stripes into his dark blue guinea pig ball. Stripes ran his paws against the plastic, and traveled around the room. It amused Craig at how energetic the rodent was. Stripes had been eager to get his exercise every day. Craig had nearly every day let stripes run around, it became routine for the both of them.

The phone on Craig's nightstand vibrated, buzzing against the surface. Craig reached over and grabbed his phone. When he turned it on, he had seen he received a message from his father. 'Do the dishes. I want them done when I get home.' Craig sighed angrily. He stood off the bed and walked across the carpeted floor towards the door. He glanced at Stripes on his way out. 'I'll let him get some exercise.' Craig left his room and closed the door behind him.

His feet thumped against the wooden steps as he descended. He hated doing chores. His father, Thomas, would randomly assign him chores to do out of nowhere. Nothing was ever consistent. Craig had became greatly annoyed at his fathers constant orders. He turned at the base of the stairs and walked through the living room and into the kitchen, and he froze when he saw the sink.

Dishes were piled high inside of the sink up to the faucet. Several dirty glasses and utensils were sitting on the counter. Craig sighed angrily at the project. Craig turned on the faucet, sending warm water out, it felt soothing against his hands. He soaked the sponge, dabbed a little bit of dish soap on it, and got to work. He looked outside the kitchen window as he worked. He was home all by himself, doing chores by the order of his father.

His mother had taken his sister out to go shopping for new clothes, and Craig was left home alone. He couldn't remember the last time his parents had actually asked him to do something with them. His mother was out quite a bit, Craig wondered if that was because she didn't like Thomas. His sister was spoiled rotten, and always received priority over Craig. Craig had to earn what he got, she had it handed to her.

By the time Craig began, the sun was beginning to set in the sky. Craig worked quickly, he wanted to get the dishes done before his father got home. He hated working on the grubby dishes. He felt disguising having to clean up after his own family. His father had called him home from the date with Wendy at Stark's Pond, just to tell him to vacuum the living room. No one even visited the house, but his father continually barked orders at Craig. He hated the situation he was in. His sister was always spoiled, and Craig was always seen as the troublemaker by his parents. Maybe that was why the kids at school perceived Craig that way.

Craig was down to the last four dishes when he heard gravel crunching outside the front of his house. He heard tires screech as a car came to a hault. He quickly scrubbed and rinsed, hoping to be done in time. A car door shut outside, making Craig increasingly nervous. He was down to the last two dishes when he heard keys jingle and the front door open. He heard the door close and heard the sound of loud footsteps approaching the kitchen. Craig was scrubbing the last dish when his father walked into the kitchen, he heard his boots thump against the tile, then freeze behind Craig.

Craig turned to see his father glaring at him angrily. 'I thought I said I wanted the dishes done when I got home, Craig.' Craig rinsed off the last dish and set it aside on a towel. 'I just finished washing the last one.' His father shook his head. 'Doesn't matter, I told you to be done when I got home. You lose your mp3 for two weeks.'

Craig felt anger rise inside of him. 'I did what you wanted me to, and instead of thank you, you tell me you're taking away my mp3?' Craig asked defensively. His father smirked. 'You know what. Since you just back talked me, you can sweep the kitchen, too.' His father left the room. Craig heard his heavy boots thumping up the stairs a minute later. He couldn't believe his dad had grounded him for being a second behind his expectations. His father would ground him often for the smallest reasons, and made it a common thing to go into his room to take his possessions.

Craig grabbed the broom at the far end of the kitchen and began to sweep up the dirt. His feet ached a bit from standing. Craig let out an angry breath through his nose as he heard his father approach the kitchen. Thomas walked back into the kitchen with his boots a minute later. He tracked a bunch of dirt into the room as he walked over to the fridge. He opened it up, and reached inside, grabbing a few beers. He unscrewed a cap and tilted the bottle back. He let out a satisfying breath and turned to Craig, and pointed to his dirt trail. 'You missed a spot. You know what, it could use a good mopping too.' Craig glared angrily at his father. 'Of course...' There was no sense in arguing, Craig would just get grounded more.

'Make it shine, and smile a bit. Let the sunnshiiiine iiiin.' his father sang as he left the kitchen. Craig wished his father was dead. He hated him so much. He was an egotistical jerk who abused power on Craig just because he could. Craig never knew why his father had it out for him. There was a lot in his past that he would rather not think about.

As he swept up the floor Craig heard uneven bumping descending the stairs. It sounded like something had bounced down the stairs. Craig heard a squeak of panic, and then silence. He instantly registered the situation. 'Stripes!' Craig called out. He threw the broom to the ground and dashed outside the kitchen and over to the base of the stairs.

Craig saw the rodent lying still inside the blue exercise ball. 'Stripes...' Craig dropped to his knees, eyes watering. He cupped his hands around the outside of the ball, and lowered his head against it. In the other room, his father was watching T.V., . 'What the hell happened?' he asked, uncaring. Craig undid the top of the exercise ball, and reached in it to grab the little rodents lifeless body. He scooped it up gently in both hands and held him to his chest. 'Stripes...' Craig said in sorrow.

He hugged the furry creature to his chest. 'No...Stripes...No...' He pulled Stripes towards his face, and kissed him lightly on the neck. He stroked Stripes' fur. All the life was gone out of his best friend. He was still so soft, but wasn't moving anymore. 'Craig?!' his father called again, irritably. Craig's anger burst. He turned around towards his father. 'STRIPES IS DEAD! YOU HAD TO BE RIDICULOUS AND GO INTO MY ROOM BECAUSE YOU GROUNDED ME! YOU DIDN'T CLOSE THE DOOR! HE FELL DOWN THE STEPS... HE'S DEAD BECAUSE OF YOU!'

His father bolted up out of his armchair and walked over to Craig angrily. He held a beer bottle in one hand and walked over to Craig, a bit tipsy. 'Don't you EVER, yell at me again!' Craig stood up and gave his father an angry look. 'Stripes is gone because of you...' His father tilted his head. 'Is that so? Well maybe if you left the damn thing in his cage and had been more responsible he'd still be alive. It's your fault Craig, now be responsible and bury the damn thing.' His father turned his back to Craig and returned to the living room, plopping down on the arm chair and opening another beer.

Craig gave his father the most hateful look he could imagine and ran up the stairs, tears falling down his cheeks as he ran away from his father. 'Fuck you...' he thought hatefully. 'I hate you...I HATE YOU!' he re-affirmed himself. Craig entered his room and walked over to his closet. 'He probably knew Stripes was in here, but forgot to close the door. He's drunk all the time and doesn't think...I hate him!' He opened his closet door and dropped to his knees, still cradling stripes. He had a pair of dress shoes he kept inside a small shoe box. He dumped them out and moved over towards what used to be Stripes' cage.

A small bag of bedding sat next to the cage. Craig reached in with one hand to grab a few handfuls of wood chips. He wanted to bury his friend in the soft bedding he was used to. 'Stripes...I'm so sorry.' Craig told his friend. His tears fell into his dead friends fur. Craig evened out the wood chips in the shoe box, making sure it was comfortable for Stripes. He gave his friend a final kiss on the neck before gently setting his pet on the soft wood chips. He put the lid cover over the box, taking in the sight of Stripes' for the last time.

'I hate him so much...' Craig thought with malice. 'I hate my whole family, they disgust me.' Craig gripped the sides of the shoebox and walked towards his bedroom door. Before he left, he looked over to what used to be Stripes' cage, looking just as it had not too long ago.

Craig remembered when he had saved enough money he earned from his allowance to buy Stripes. He had slowly saved up enough money in order to buy guinea pig supplies. He remembered walking to the pet store on his own, and how he had looked in the glass at all the different rodents. A few were in a cage together, and next to them in another cage was Stripes, all alone. He remembered looking into the rodents eyes. 'I want this one.' Craig told himself instantly.

He had been so young and innocent he brought his friend home. He remembered undoing the small cardboard box Stripes was contained in. He could still feel and picture the moment when he had put Stripes' down into the cage for the first time. Stripes was still just a baby. Craig had put his hands against the clear plastic of the cage and watched his new, beloved pet scamper around. 'This is your new home, Stripes. We'll be best friends, I promise.' he said to his friend.

Craig was now in his backyard, digging a hole to bury stripes. He worked with a small gardening trowel. The box sat next to him as he was on his knees. His pants were getting dirty from digging, but he didn't care. He just wanted to bury Stripes properly. He had been a best friend to Craig, and Craig wanted to return his love one final time.

When he had dug deep enough, Craig gently reached over for the shoe box. He grabbed it, and laid it on his lap one final time. 'Goodbye Stripes...I'll miss you, best friend.' Tears streamed down Craig's face as he leaned forward to set the box gently at the bottom of the whole. Craig grabbed a handful of dirt and lightly sprinkled some over the box. 'I'm so sorry for what happened...I feel like it's partly my fault...but I'm sure you know I didn't want this to happen...' Craig prayed silently to Stripes.

He scooped the rest of the dirt back into the hole. He flattened it with his trowel, trying to flatten it evenly. He stood up to put some weight over the dirt with his foot to make sure it was compact. He stared down at the grave of his best friend in disbelief. It had all happened so quick, he didn't know all of what happened, it all seemed like a blur.

Craig threw the trowel aside and left the backyard. He entered through the glass door and walked into the house silently, his head hung low. He had to pass the living room to go up to his room. He quietly snuck behind his father, who was still sitting in his armchair, drinking a beer and watching T.V. Several beer bottles lay beside him. Craig looked at him in disgust. 'I hate you...I hope you die.' Craig cursed him. He took small steps up the stairs. He re-entered his room and shut the door behind him. He looked out his bedroom window and took a long breath. He walked over to his bed, his sorrow reaching a high point. Tears flew down his face rapidly as he ran over to his bed. He collapsed onto it, pulling a pillow close to him for comfort. He stuffed it in his face and sobbed into it.

'I hate this...I don't deserve this. I hate my family. I hate my dad, my mom, my sister...they all are so selfish and just treat me like dirt...' Craig wished nothing more than for him to be all grown up. He wanted to have his own job that paid well. He wanted to move far away, away from all this sadness, hate, and drama. His bedroom felt lifeless without Stripes. Craig had laid on his side like this before, crying. Only he had Stripes against him, snuggling. The little rodent was a great deal of company when he needed it. He didn't judge Craig. Craig could let out his emotions to Stripes without any repercussions. Craig finally stopped crying after about half an hour. He was breathing slowly, trying to heal himself.

Suddenly Craig's bedroom door flung open. 'I thought I told you to sweep and mop up downstairs.' his father said commandingly. Craig's eyes flew open and he stared at his blank wall. He felt his father's gaze stabbing into him. He used his hand to wipe his eyes. 'Just get another, just because you made a mistake doesn't mean you can't move on.'

'Fuck you.' Craig said quietly. There was a long, tense pause. 'What was that?' his father asked, prying. Craig heard his heavy footsteps approach his bed. Craig stayed silent as he hugged the pillow. He wanted his father to go away so badly. He closed his eyes tightly, preparing himself for what was about to come.

'I said...' Craig felt a hand grip his shoulder and pull him hard. He tumbled off the bed onto his side. He stared up at his father with a tired look on his face. 'WHAT DID YOU SAY?!' his father yelled at him. At Craig's silence, Thomas reached down and grabbed his son by the collar, and yanked him up towards his face. Craig could smell the alcohol on his breath.

'You think you're smart, you little shit...?' his father said scornfully. Craig felt as if he could kill his father by staring at him with his hate. His anger erupted at full force against his father. 'I SAID FUCK YOU! YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL! YOU'RE A DISGUISTING DRUNK, I HATE YOU!' he screamed in his fathers face. His father grabbed Craig and slammed him against the wall. His head hit the wall hard, sending a hanging picture of Stripes tumbling down. It hit his nightstand. Craig heard the glass crack.

'What are you going to do? Huh?' Craig provoked his father. His father leaned his face into Craig's, touching his nose to his. 'Shut. Up.' He said threateningly. Craig's lips began to move. Before he could let out any further words he felt a strong force against his stomach. The breath flew out of him and he gasped. He couldn't speak anymore. He wanted to fall to the ground so bad. He gasped for air as his father held him firmly against the wall. 'At a loss for words now?' his father asked menacingly.

'Wipe that smile off your face, too.' Craig stared at the floor, his vision was blurry. Craig spun towards the floor from a strong blow to the face. His face stung, but he dared not scream. Craig felt as if he dropped to the floor very slowly. His face slammed against the carpeted floor, making his head ache immensely.

He curled up into a tight ball. He was in such pain, and didn't want any more. His vision was blurry, and he felt tired. 'Now why don't you stay in your room for a week without any food?' his father asked. 'Maybe that will teach you to respect people.' He saw his fathers boots walk past his face. Craig's bedroom door slammed shut as he heard his fathers footsteps travel downstairs.

He stared down onto the carpet. He saw some blood trickling down his nose onto the floor, staining the small fibers with red. He watched the blood flow slowly, in a daze. His vision cycled from being blurry to darkening. He felt lightheaded, and physically exhausted.

He felt hot tears streaking down his face. He would have to wake up tomorrow, and wake up to the same family, the same hateful father, the same self-absorbed mother, and the spoiled sister. 'Maybe I am a troublemaker...' Craig thought to himself as his tears flew down his face. 'Maybe I deserve this...' He felt that if he blamed himself, maybe this would help prevent any more pain. But the harsh reality was that Craig's father had been this way before, for a long time.

Craig heard his phone buzzing from his nightstand. It continued vibrating against the table he laid there helplessly. Only one person ever called him about this time of night. 'Wendy...' he thought of her. He pictured her long black hair, her smile, her soft giggle, and her warm, loving touch. For a moment, he thought he almost heard her calling his name.

His hearing had vanished. His ears felt badly clogged, he only heard a very soft ringing sound from inside his ear. Craig's face itched from the carpet. He watched a tear streak down past his nose and touch the floor beneath him, dampening the smallest fuzzy piece of carpet.

'Wendy...' he thought. The phone next to him continued buzzing as the world went black and Craig slipped into unconsciousness.


	14. EC: Thank You

**_Author's Note:_** _Here comes yet another chapter in my FanFic! I'm truly grateful for all the views I have received. I look forward to any reviews, follows, and comments. I really appreciate everyone's dedication and appreciation for my FanFiction, it means a lot to me as a writer! I haven't even gotten to the high point of my fiction yet, but I'm already enjoying the story myself._ **PLEASE** _consider leaving a review. Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. Thanks everyone, enjoy! _

Chapter 14 – Thank You

**POV: **Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman rested his elbows against the diner counter as he leaned his head downwards to weakly sip on his chocolate milkshake. He let the sweet taste fill his mouth, making sure to savor its flavor before swallowing. He trailed a finger up and down the glass, it felt cool against his touch. The empty bar stools on either side of him made him feel lonely as he sat there alone.

'Another milkshake...Another day...' he thought to himself. Eric hadn't hung out with any of the other kids from school since the summer break started. He had mostly stayed at home this summer. Eating food, watching T.V., and playing video games was just another day for him. His mother occasionally forced him to go outside once in awhile to catch some 'fresh air,' though all Cartman did was walk down to the local diner and grab a milkshake. It just so happened that his mother had forced him to 'go out' again today, but he just repeated the same routine as he had done before.

The waitress from behind the counter walked by Cartman and quickly left the receipt near his glass without saying a word. She looked at Cartman for less than a second as she passed him. Cartman figured out from her eyes she was labeling him as fat. He had never given much thought to how others had seen him, but as he aged, he watched those around him more closely. The looks of strangers had ate at him, making him feeling lesser than them. He would occasionally suffer from social anxiety, especially in public places with a lot of people.

Eric had tried exercising last year in an attempt to lose weight. Sadly, he didn't have a lot of support to rely on. After working hard for a few days, he became greatly discouraged when he saw he had actually gained some weight. He felt working out hadn't done him much good, but maybe if he had kept with it, he would look better than he was now. 'Maybe one of these days I'll try again...' Eric hoped.

A bell dinged as the diner door opened. Cartman heard light footsteps walk across the floor. He didn't bother to look at who had entered, he'd probably just see another disgusted face. He thought about how he used to hang out with Stan, Kenny, and Kyle quite often. That changed when they all had their own new commitments. Cartman still remembered the words he had been called by them. 'Fat-ass, lard-ass, big-ass...' Cartman got the point.

Cartman's thoughts at the previous memories made him think about Kyle. He had been anxious ever since he had said goodbye to Kyle over a year ago. He missed Kyle, a lot. It seemed strange for South Park to be so lively. Everyone was happy, participating in the summer festivities, yet Kyle wasn't here. It was as if Kyle was a memory, long forgotten. He hadn't even heard anything from the Jewish boy for close to two years now.

'Maybe I can get in better shape by the time Kyle returns...' Though Eric wasn't sure when that would be, if ever. It felt like Kyle had vanished into thin air. He hardly ever heard others speak of Kyle, and he hadn't heard ANYTHING about him since he said goodbye to him at the New Years party a long time ago. He wondered what Kyle was doing at that very point in time. 'You need to come home...Jew.' he wished.

The diner bell rung again, Cartman tuned out the noise once more. He stared at the counter-top. 'What if he comes back tomorrow?' Cartman worried. 'What if he comes back tomorrow and I still look like this?' He knew Kyle had playfully teased him about being fat whenever Cartman called him a Jew, but he wondered what he would call him if he was skinny. He pictured an image in his head. 'Hey Jew.' Cartman imagined himself saying to Kyle. 'Hey sexy.' He imagined Kyle saying to a skinny Cartman. Eric's face had never turned red so quickly. He felt as if he could blow steam out of his ears.

'Hey.' Cartman heard a voice say next to him. He jumped from sudden reality. He looked over to watch a young, brown haired boy take a seat on the stool next to him. Clyde looked at him from atop the bar stool. Eric raised an eyebrow. 'Hey...' he said awkwardly. Eric was surprised Clyde had came over and sat next to him.

The waitress dashed back to the counter, and made eye contact with Clyde. 'I'll have what he's having.' Clyde said smoothly, pointing a thumb at Cartman. The waitress dissapeared into the kitchen.

'I thought you looked lonely.' Clyde told Cartman. 'How has your summer been? I haven't seen you around.' he asked politely. Eric thought desperately for an excuse. 'Oh...I've been out of town...I've been visiting family.' Clyde nodded at his answer. 'That's cool, where at?' he asked. Eric had to stretch the truth even further. 'California...' He decided to re-direct the question. 'How about you? How has your summer been?'

'Pretty boring.' Clyde admitted. 'Craig has been doing a lot with Wendy, so I haven't really had a friend to hang out with...' There was an awkward silence between the two. 'Yeah, I haven't hung out with anyone, either.' Cartman added. He sipped on his straw, making loud slurps as he finished up the last of his ice cream. He reached into his pocket and left a few dollars on top of the receipt.

Eric twisted around the barstool. 'Good seeing you, Clyde.' He hopped off the stool and began walking away. 'Wait!' Clyde called after him. Eric turned back. 'Huh?' He looked closely at Clyde's eyes. To Eric's surprise, it wasn't a judgmental stare he had seen so many others give him. It was a friendly look.

'Would you maybe like to hang out...and do something? I've been so bored, I need to hang out with someone.' Eric thought about it. Normally, if it had been anyone else who had looked at him differently, he would have said no. However, Clyde's gaze was friendly, warm, and eased the worry Cartman had. He had never really hung out with Clyde before, but he supposed it would do him some good to get some social time in. 'Sure.' Eric agreed. He waddled back towards the bar counter, returning to where he had been seated a moment ago.

Clyde and Eric made small talk as they sat at the counter together. 'So, what do you want to do after this?' Cartman asked. 'Well, my dad recently had a new pool installed at my house, do you want to take it for a spin?' Clyde wondered. 'I mean, I get we haven't hung out a whole lot, but I figured it'd be better than going to the beach.'

Clyde turned to look at Cartman for his response. Cartman was silent for a moment. Clyde's eyes looked at him differently than other people. His eyes looked deep, and innocent. It was a look that made Cartman feel relaxed around Clyde. He was sure that Clyde was asking him with pure intentions. 'Sure, we can do that...I don't have a bathing suit though.' Eric admitted.

'We'll stop by the mall after this, do you have money?' Eric reached into his pocket and pulled out a few dollar bills. He flipped through them, counting his worth. 'I should have enough.' The waitress returned to the counter and laid Clyde's receipt on the counter, giving Cartman another look of disgust before walking away. Clyde sipped up the last of his ice cream and quickly tossed money on the table. 'Let's go.' he said.

The two walked a few blocks to get to the mall. The parking lot was crowded with parked vehicles and shoppers entering and leaving. The two boys walked along the sidewalk towards the main entrance. As they approached the automatic doors, a small group of girls passed by on Cartman's side. They all turned their heads towards Cartman, then looked away and began giggling loudly in their group. Cartman felt embarrassed.

'Don't let them bother you.' Clyde comforted him. 'They probably just make themselves throw up to feel better about themselves.' Cartman wasn't sure whether or not he should feel better or worse from that. The two boys entered the mall, which was loud and busy from shoppers. They didn't walk too far when Clyde turned into the closest store, which was a seasonal store that sold swim outfits for boys and girls.

Cartman and Clyde entered the store and walked over towards the boys section. They started browsing through the bathing suits together. 'I could use one, too.' Clyde said, holding a few up to examine them. Cartman searched for one with a cool design. He found one he liked, but it was only a small size.

Cartman had hopped around a few different places to shop for bathing suits. Sadly, the largest size he found was a few sizes less than what he had worn a few years ago. He stopped swimming in public due to the worry of other people might make fun of him. It embarrassed him even more at the thought he couldn't find the right size. 'Maybe I can try to squeeze into this...' he thought.

He raised his head above the clothing racks to gaze around at the somewhat small store. He found the changing rooms located towards the back corner. 'I'm just going to go try this on.' Cartman told Clyde. Clyde nodded. 'Alright, I'll be right here.'

There were only two changing rooms, luckily both were vacant. Eric walked into one and closed the door behind him. He made sure to lock it, just in case. He draped the bathing suit over a small clothing pole and lifted his shirt. He looked at his bare skin. He started with his face. It was round with what appeared to be another chin. He lowered his eyes to his chest. He looked at his fat drooping down his body. 'I'm hideous.' he told himself.

He kicked off his shoes and undid his pants. He stood in his underwear and lifted a foot into the bathing suit, and then another. He pulled it up his legs, but it stopped going up along his thighs. It was too short. He let it drop helplessly down his legs, then he stepped out of it. 'Screw this, I'm going home.' he thought angrily.

Outside he heard a group of girls giggling. 'Ok, Bebe, you so have to try this on.' Cartman's social anxiety kicked in. He didn't want to walk outside in front of the girls. He started shaking very lightly. 'Take deep breaths...' he tried to help himself. He worked his way back into his clothes, and turned towards the door, placing a hand on the handle. He figured he should leave before more people come up wanting to try things on. 'Here goes nothing...'

He cranked the handle down and opened the door. He tried to walk straight ahead with his head turned in an attempt to slip by the girls unnoticed. 'Eric!' he heard Red call after him. He froze in place and closed his eyes for a moment, frustrated. He turned around with a smile. 'Hi, Red.' he said nicely. Red was standing next to Annie, the curly blond was holding a hanger with a bikini set attached. 'Bathing suit shopping?' Annie asked. Cartman hid the bathing suit behind him, even the largest size in the store was embarrassing to carry around. 'Yeah...I just felt like swimming this summer.' he told Annie.

The other dressing room door opened and Bebe stepped out in a blue bikini. Annie and Red turned to her. 'Bebe, you look so cute!' Red said cheerfully. 'I know!' Bebe said. The girls giggled. 'Me next!' Annie darted into the room with her clothes. Bebe looked over to see Cartman. 'Hey.' she said with a flat line across her lips.

'Hi...' Cartman said. He wasn't sure what to talk about. He stared at Bebe for about five seconds and broke eye contact. He could tell he was being incredibly awkward. He felt someone approach him from behind. He registered Clyde standing just behind him. Bebe looked over Cartman's shoulder! 'Clyde!' she said happily.

She walked over to him and embraced him in a big hug next to Cartman. 'You look great!' she complimented him. Cartman had never even seen Bebe and Clyde hang out together before, even in school. Yet here she was, hugging him tightly. 'She probably thinks he looks better than me!' Cartman thought angrily. 'How is your summer going?' She asked Clyde.

'Oh...not too bad. Just getting ready to go swimming with Eric.' Bebe looked at Clyde, then at Cartman. 'Oh...cool I guess.' she said, unconvincing. 'Hey Clyde, do you want to hang out at the beach later this weekend? Just you, me and the girls?' Clyde tilted his head. 'If you'd like that, sure.' Bebe let out a girly squeal. She pulled a pen out of her pocket and reached for Clyde's wrist. She flipped over his palm and wrote a number on it. 'Call me Saturday!' she said.

'Will do.' Clyde said as he walked away and into the other changing room. Cartman couldn't believe Clyde had just been asked on a date with three other girls. He thought about Clyde's image. He had perfectly combed brown hair, a slender body, and a clean,smooth face. He truly was handsome, Eric thought.

'I wish I was like that...' Eric wished. The group of girls finished their little fashion show and began to walk towards the front of the store. Bebe looked at Cartman without saying goodbye, then whispered something into Red's ear. The two giggled and Red whispered into Annie's ear. The group erupted in laughter.

Clyde emerged from the change room a moment later in his normal clothes. 'I think I'll get this.' he said, holding up a white and red swim suit. 'Did you find one you liked?' Eric shook his head left and right. '...Is everything OK?' he asked Eric. 'Clyde...' Eric looked up at him. He still had the deep, innocent eyes from earlier. 'Thank you a lot for wanting to hang out with me today...I just don't know if I can do this...' Clyde raised an eyebrow. 'What, you want to leave? Why?' He sounded worried.

'I just don't think I...fit in.' Clyde's eyes seemed to see deep into Cartman's. 'Don't worry about how you look. Just be yourself, dude.' Eric's eyes widened. Clyde had discovered Cartman's worries just from looking at him. Eric thought he was always decent at hiding his feelings, yet Clyde had managed to figure him out.

'I'm sure you have your own awesome attributes about you. I definitely have seen you pull some hilarious stunts at school, so you have a sense of humor. ' Cartman felt grateful from Clyde's praise. 'Thanks, Clyde.' Cartman tried to stifle a smile, but he couldn't. The corners of his lips raised up. 'There you go.' Clyde said enthusiastically. Cartman's facial muscles worked harder, forming a bigger smile.

Clyde purchased his bathing suit up front, silently understanding there was a size that didn't fit Cartman. Eric couldn't believe how accepting and friendly Clyde had been towards him. The two left the busy mall and within minutes arrived at Clyde's house. Eric saw there were no cars in his driveway. His father must have left to do something, he figured.

The Donovan's maintained a very clean, open house. Clyde walked into the kitchen, his flip flops echoed against the tile floor. He set the plastic bag with his bathing suit down on the table and picked up and orange sticky note. He sighed and slapped it back against the table. He looked at Cartman apologetically.

'I'm sorry dude...my dad said he had to adjust the chemical levels in the pool, it's not safe to swim in. Eric scratched the back of his head. 'Didn't have something to swim in, anyway.' Clyde tapped his fingers along his table. 'Want to play some Xbox?'

Cartman looked at Clyde, surprised. 'You want to spend time, with me, playing xbox indoors on a bright, sunny day?' Clyde didn't flinch or act surprised. 'Yes.' Cartman grinned. 'Then let's go!' Clyde dashed past Cartman and chased after Clyde as fast as he could up the stairs. 'No fair!' The two boys laughed as they ran together.

He saw Clyde turn to the right into his bedroom. Eric took a breath before he entered. He walked into Clyde's bedroom, huffing from the exercise. He was surprised at how cool Clyde's room really was. There were bean bags, a few flat screen TV's, game consoles, a fancy computer, a laptop, a mini-fridge, and even a large basket with various junk food in it. This was heaven for Cartman.

'Wow!' Cartman said. Clyde was standing in front of two bean bags located in front of the T.V. He turned on the xbox and lit up the T.V. screen with a remote. He plopped down onto a bean bag. 'Shall we?' he invited.

The two played video games until the sun had set. Cartman couldn't believe how much he had enjoyed hanging out with Clyde. He was nice to him, funny, and didn't look at him the way others did. This was what he wanted, to be accepted by someone else.

After Clyde had won first place in a racing game, he stood up to walk over to his mini-fridge. Cartman watched him open it. The inside was stocked full of all sorts of drinks. Clyde grabbed two cans of pop, and lightly kicked the door shut. He walked back to Cartman, and tossed one at him. Cartman caught it in mid-air. He returned to his bean bag, and plopped down next to Cartman.

'To an awesome summer.' Clyde said as he opened his pop can. Eric opened his very slowly, making sure it didn't overflow. 'To an awesome summer...' The two boys tapped their pop cans.

Eric hadn't experienced fun like this in a long time. He was able to not be self-conscious about himself. He was also able to forget any ill feelings towards his mother for the time being. He was hitting it off very well with Clyde, maybe they could be better friends. Craig had new commitments, so Clyde was often lonely. 'I'm lonely too...but not anymore.' Cartman thought.

He wished Kyle was here with him. Maybe Cartman could be less self conscious around Kyle, thanks to Clyde. Maybe he could act confident, and maybe Kyle would see that in him, and like him. Cartman felt as if the world was adjusting to him. He felt confident he could win the heart of Kyle. Maybe Clyde could help him prepare for that.

Clyde paused the game and reached over to grab a bag of chips. 'I'll have any.' Cartman told him. Clyde handed Cartman a bag of barbecue chips. Before Clyde unpaused the game, Cartman looked over at Clyde. He studied his face, and the innocence and purity in his eyes.

'Thank you...'


	15. CT: Nightmare

_**Author's** **Note:**__I am so pleased to publish the chapter to make my FanFiction exceed 50k words! I've worked long and hard on this FanFiction, and am SO grateful for all the positive feedback and views I've received. I'm really looking forward to continuing the story. Does anyone else miss Kyle? I'm the writer and I already miss him! D:_

Chapter 15 – Nightmare

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Craig felt as if everything in the universe was frozen in time. His mind seemed separate from his body. He was relaxed, and thoughtless. His eyes were closed as he laid back against nothing in silence. 'Where am I?' He tried to push his mind to think harder, but it didn't work. He felt he had no control, wherever he was. 'Where'd I come from...?' Craig wondered.

He opened his eyes slowly. He gazed upwards into darkness. All around him, the only thing he could see was an endless, black abyss. He felt as if he was floating in the middle of all this darkness. 'Maybe this is a dream.' he told himself. Everything seemed eerily quiet as he floated in the nothingness. 'Where...did I come from?' he asked slowly.

'My life...who am I?' Craig truly didn't even know his name. He started to become afraid. He knew no one, and he was in this place all by himself. 'I need to figure out what to do...' he tried to energize his mind with ideas, but he was too exhausted to do anything that productive. 'My name...what is my name?' he searched for an answer.

Every thought and feeling Craig had in his mind suddenly vanished. He sudden felt his body shrink. He became so small he wondered if he might dissapear. He suddenly felt warmth envelope him tightly. He tried to snuggle into it, it calmed him in this dark place. 'We'll name him Craig.' Craig felt what he thought was a hand lightly brushing him against the cheek. 'Craig...Craig Tucker...' he heard a woman's voice say. 'That's a fine name indeed...' Craig began getting rocked lightly. He felt his body was wrapped in something soft. He lifted his small hands to his chin.

Craig opened his eyes as slow as he could. His sight adjusted to the bright light. He looked above him towards a ceiling. A woman's face appeared in front of him. She had dark eyes and long hair. She dropped her mouth and smiled at Craig. 'He's awake!' she said excitedly. She looked past where Craig could see. 'He's awake!'

The woman had features Craig felt was familiar, but couldn't remember. He looked away from her towards the ceiling. There were bright lights above his head, too bright for his liking, it was almost blinding. Suddenly, a large head appeared in front of the bright light, lighting up a bulky mans face.

'Hi, son.' the man said. Craig saw the man reach down and lightly grab a hold of his hand. 'Son?' Craig thought. 'Oh...this man is my dad. The other must be my mother...' His fathers touch felt warm and gentle against his small hands. His mother held him gently, and lifted up Craig and lightly patted his back. He stared over her shoulder to the wall, resting his head against her shoulder.

His vision suddenly registered extremely bright light in his face. He closed his eyes tightly. He put hands over his face to protect his sight. One again he felt he was floating in the darkness. His body tilted to make him standing straight in the air. He felt his body grow slightly, and a moment later he felt his feet planting in something soft. The vision appeared instantly after he felt the carpet beneath his feet. He was grabbing the corner of a wall, along the door threshold.

He tried taking a step towards the door, but he was wobbly on his feet. He looked downwards. His short, stubby legs couldn't walk properly just yet. They were too weak. Craig's balance gave way, and he fell backwards, landing on his behind. 'I have to get up.' he re-assured himself. With all of his might his little body could handle, he pressed hard against the ground to try standing up. He wobbled for a moment, afraid he was going to lose balance again. He sighed with relief when he was on his feet again, unbalanced. 'I did it!' he praised himself.

He could hear the light voices of his mother and father behind the door he was standing near. The door was just barely cracked open, Craig could barely see inside. He strained his ears, trying to listen. His cheeks were red, and felt warm. 'Well, Thomas, I don't know what your problem is.' he heard his mothers voice. 'I didn't want one right away, yet you let it happen.' he heard his father say in a stiff voice. He heard his mother gasp.

'Well what are you trying to say, Thomas? He was an accident?' Thomas sighed. 'I'm saying we SHOULD have planned better. What's another expense on us?' He heard his mother give a hysterical laugh. 'I can't believe you...you'd say that about your own son?' Craig's mind recognized a word his father had called him. 'Son?' Craig thought. 'That's me, maybe he wants me.'

He pushed the door open with his small hands and ran as fast as he could across the bedroom towards his parents, who were sitting on the bed. 'I'm coming!' he thought. They both turned to him as they heard his light footsteps approaching. His father gave him a hard look. 'Bed. Now.'

His father walked towards Craig. He reached down and put his arms underneath Craig's armpits. He lifted him up with massive force. 'He's strong.' Craig thought. His father put an arm under Craig for him to sit on. Craig leaned against his fathers large torso. It felt warm, just like his mother.

He closed his eyes as he was carried silently. He suddenly felt his father tilt him on his back and put a hand underneath his head.. He laid him down gently against a plush fabric. He heard his father step away from where he had set Craig down.

Craig's eyes jumped open. He turned his head to look through the tall, wooden bars of his crib. He watched his father walk away from him through the towards the door, swinging his arms along the way. 'Don't go, I want you.' Craig thought. His bedroom door slammed shut. His emotions were so much more sensitive than he could remember. Tears instantly rolled down his cheeks and he breathed heavily. 'He's mad at me, I did something bad.'

Craig tried to calm himself down. He felt a bit better when he looked up towards the ceiling at the decoration hanging above him. He was looking at a small, round ring. Small ornaments hung off of it on a string. Craig recognized the shapes above him. He saw a star, a duck, and a diamond. When his mother would put him to bed, she would always turn that once for him. It would play soft chimes as he drifted off into a deep sleep.

Bright light suddenly erupted once more. Once again, Craig held his eyes tightly closed. 'I wanted to sleep.' Craig complained while being surrounded with the light. 'Can't I just stay somewhere good?' From behind his eyelids, he could sense the bright light had dimmed down. He opened his eyes yet again.

He found himself in a sitting position. He sat against a small blue chair in front of a small, yellow, rounded table. He had a small, blue backpack sitting next to his chair. 'I wonder what's in here...?' Craig wondered. He reached for his backpack. He realized his hands had gotten a little bigger as he grabbed the strap and lifted it upwards onto his lap. He unzipped the backpack and pulled out a piece of paper. It took him a moment to read the big three words on the center of the paper. Colorful letters were spelling out a message: 'Happy Birthday, Craig!' Craig's eyes wandered the page. He noticed different colored crayon signatures from the people he went to school with.

He read off different names, recognizing each of them. His eyes stopped over a purple signature. 'Wen..dee..' Craig sounded out. 'Wendy...Test-uh-buhguh?' He tried to pronounce it. He wasn't sure if he was right or not, but he was more fascinated in her signature. 'She picked a good color.' he thought.

Suddenly noise filled the area Craig was in. He heard the laughter of young children. He looked up he was welcomed by the presence of three others sitting at the table with him, all Craig's size. Around him, all the kindergarten's were causing a commotion with playtime.

Sitting around the table with him were Stan, Wendy, and Tweek. Tweek shook nervously next to Craig. He had a coloring page in front of him, and desperately tried to color it with crayons. His nervous little hands slipped as he tried to color in a shape, resulting in him drawing outside the lines. 'Agh!' he said in shock.

'Tweek, here.' a young Wendy said. Her hair was in a ponytail. She wore purple overalls with a black shirt. On her overalls was pinned a small, yellow flower. 'Color like this.' Wendy grabbed Tweek's hand in hers, and together the two worked on Tweek's picture. Tweek drew lightly along the page. 'Slowly...' Wendy suggested. They moved slowly, Craig watched them in silence. Wendy was so nice to everyone. Everyone seemed to like her too, Craig wished he was the same way.

Craig moved his eyes towards Stan, who was sitting a bit off from Wendy at the far end of the table. A young Stan rested his head on his elbow. His black hair was poking out, uneven through his red poof ball hat. He was looking around the classroom, unaware of Craig's stare. His eyes flickered from one thing to another. Craig heard some light giggling coming from behind him, Stan stopped his eyes in the direction of the noise. He stood up and walked confidently past Craig.

Craig twisted around to see Stan walking towards another table. Bill, Fosse, and Jason were surrounding a small Kyle. His green hat was placed over his poofy, red hair as he sat at the table alone. 'You have weird hair.' Jason teased him. 'That's stupid.' Fosse said. 'Hehe, that's stupid. Bill added. 'No it's not!' Kyle defended himself. Stan walked over next to Kyle. He gave a stern look to the three others. 'Stop it!' he said.

Craig watched Stan defend Kyle. He had a look of seriousness in his eyes Craig had never seen before. 'You guys are being mean, go away!' Stan warned them. 'Or I'll tell the teacher on you!' The three glanced at each other, then walked away, grumbling. Kyle had a small tear run down his face. 'Don't cry.' Stan told him. He reached a small finger to wipe Kyle's tear away. 'There, all better.'

The bright light came again in an instant. 'Come on...' Craig thought, annoyed. He shut his eyes again from the brightness. This time he awoke sitting, but felt a few bumps beneath him. The world came into his sight as he opened his eyes again. He looked outside a small window. He passed by a few houses, their lawns covered in snow. Colorful lights lit up the neighborhood.

Craig had made a 'Merry Christmas' magnet craft in class. It wasn't the neatest, but Craig had worked hard to make it, and couldn't wait to surprise his parents with it. 'I sure hope they like it.' Craig hoped. He was proud of himself. He had worked hard to make something for them, and was going to surprise them both with it.

The bus came to a halt and Craig looked out the window at a small green house. 'That's not mine.' he thought to himself. The bus bumped again and continued rolling. Craig could see the other seats on the bus were mostly occupied by a couple of students. There was an empty space next to Craig. He just returned his gaze to the window, watching the endless white go by. He suddenly felt the leather adjust next to him as he felt a light weight beside him. He turned around to see a small brown haired boy looking at him with innocent, deep eyes. 'Hi.' he said shyly.

'Hi.' Craig said. The boy who had sat next to Craig looked nervous. 'What's your name?' The brown haired boy tilted his head. He wore a red jacket and a blue scarf. 'My name is Clyde, what is yours?' Craig kept eye contact with the boy. 'I'm Craig.' he told him. Clyde immediately started talking in excitement. 'I'm so excited for Santa!' Clyde said. 'Me too.' Craig told him. 'I'm sure he'll leave me a bunch of presents, I worked hard to be really good this year.' Craig had tried his best to behave in school. He received good grades, and hadn't been sent to the office one.

'I made my mom a little drawing for Christmas.' Clyde announced proudly. 'Here, I'll show you.' He swung his backpack around to his lap, and unzipped it. He reached inside, and pulled out a small, flat piece of paper. He handed it to Craig. Craig grabbed it and straightened it, looking at the picture.

Clyde had drawn a picture in crayon. The first detail Craig noticed was Clyde's house. Inside of it, through the windows he had drawn both of his parents. They had smiling faces. Clyde was outside of his house, with a similar smile. Over the houses roof, he had drawn a picture of Santa flying through the air with his reindeer. Clyde took the picture back from Craig and stuffed it in his backpack. 'I hope they like it.' he said hopefully.

'Me too.' Craig agreed. 'I hope my parents like my gift too.' He would have shown Clyde his creation but the bus had halted soon outside of Craig's familiar looking home. 'Bye Clyde!' Craig said as he stood up and squeezed past Clyde. He walked down the isle, past the other kids. He held the rail as he descended the bus steps down onto the pavement. He walked up the sidewalk towards his home. When he reached the driveway he was overcome with excitement. He dashed up the driveway with glee. He made it to his front door, and pushed it open into his home.

It was warm inside the house. Craig couldn't see anyone from where he was at. He wanted to surprise his parents as soon as he could. He checked the living room first. It was empty. The Christmas Tree was up, covered in ornaments in bright lights. Craig noticed there were stockings hung above the living room fireplace. Craig saw his mother's, father's, and even his sister's stockings hanging on hooks. He was a bit saddened that not one of them said 'Craig' on it. 'Oh well, it's under the tree that matters.' Craig thought.

He left the room and dashed into the kitchen. He found his mother, she had a hand firmly planted on the counter behind her, leaned back slightly as his father towered over her. He looked at her in a way that made Craig feel uneasy. Craig thought he could make them both happy, no matter what had just happened. He swung his backpack around. 'I'm home.' he announced to them. They both snapped their attention to Craig in surprise. Craig looked at his father. He huffed and walked away, leaving only Craig and his mother. Craig watched him go, he felt like his dad was mad about something. 'Maybe he'll cheer up later.' Craig hoped.

'I got you something.' Craig said to his mother. He unzipped his backpack and felt around for the small Christmas magnet he had made. It had a small green and red ribbon glued to the front of it, he felt for its unique fabric. He found it and pulled it up out of his backpack. 'Here you go, Merry Christmas!' Craig's mom kneeled down to Crai'gs level and dropped her jaw at the sight of Craig's gift. 'Craig honey...this is beautiful!' she said. 'I'll put it right on the fridge, thank you!' She held her arms out, inviting Craig for an embrace.

Craig dropped his backpack to the floor and jumped into her. He flung his arms around her neck and leaned on her. He smelled her perfume and felt her warm touch along his back. She patted him lightly. It felt good when he was in her arms. She kissed him lightly on the cheek. 'You're such a good boy.'

'I love you.' Craig told her quietly. He really did, he wanted to hold her forever. He felt safe around her, and her hold made him feel safe and happy. 'I love you too...' his mother said. She leaned down into Craig's shoulder and began panting heavily. Her face started turning a light red color and Craig heard her sobbing. 'What's wrong mommy? Don't cry.' Craig told her. He hated the sight of his mother upset.

She leaned away from him and guided her hands to Craig's shoulders. A teardrop fell, but she quickly removed a hand to brush it away, and returned the hand to Craig's shoulder a moment later. Her eyes were red and watery. 'I'm alright love...' She said. She smiled at him, but Craig could see through her eyes she seemed sad and miserable. In an instant the light returned yet again. Craig shut his eyes tightly as he prepared for another strange experience. 'Where am I going now?' he wondered.

'Happy Valentines day.' Craig had said automatically as he held out a card to Bebe. She accepted his card and handed him one, too. 'Happy Valentines day!' Bebe said as she walked off to continue distributing her cards. Craig handed out his cards one at a time by name. Each card had a persons name written on it, and he was determined to make sure they were all given out. He had some special Red Racer card she had brought, hoping to impress everyone. He checked the next name 'Wendy.' he said out loud. He looked around the room for her. He saw her handing a card out to Butters, and they both wished each other a happy Valentine's.

Craig headed for her. He stopped next to her, her attention snapped to him. 'Happy Valentines Day!' he said to her cheerfully. 'Thank you!' She said as she accepted his card. She shuffled through her cards and found Craig's name within the pile. 'Happy Valentines Day!' she said.

Craig walked away and opened up her card moments later. Wendy had made her own custom cards for everyone. Inside she wrote, in purple marker:_'Hope you have a great Valentines Day, Craig!' _Craig liked how she had written the purple. She had wished him happy birthday in purple crayon before, too.

Craig turned around and looked back at her. He watched the red poof-ball hat boy, Stan, hand her a card. He smiled at her as he held it out. His black hair had grown a bit longer, and was poking out from under his cap, nearly coming below his eyes. Wendy opened the card he had given her right away, excited. She smiled at when she read its contents. 'I love you, too!' she said happily. She leaned forward to give Stan a light peck on the cheek. Stan's small face lit up bright red, and he must have worked his facial muscles as hard as he could into a smile.

Stan turned away from Wendy, embarrassed. Craig observed Wendy. She watched Stan walk away, smiling just as much as he was. 'Those two really like each other.' Craig thought. 'Maybe I can find someone who likes me like that one day.' Craig blinked his eyes and found himself sitting in the darkness.

Wherever Craig was, he felt the light fabric of pants rubbing against his cheek. He was hiding from the loud yelling of his parents downstairs. He leaned forward and hugged his knees in the darkness of the closet. 'Please don't fight.' he wished. 'Don't fight today, you fight too much.'

He heard his father yell downstairs: 'You are telling me to respect that?!' His mother responded angrily. 'I don't care what you tell me, he is our son! He's not going up for adoption just because we have another one on the way!' Craig wasn't sure what they were arguing about, but he didn't recognize one of the words. 'Adoption?' Craig wondered. 'What does that mean?'

He heard the sound of loud thumping noises and heard painful squeals. He hugged his knees very tightly. He was afraid of the loud noise. 'Stop.' Craig wished. 'Please...stop.' He wanted to do something badly, but he couldn't find the will to. The thumping and screaming stopped suddenly. Craig listened carefully.

He felt a feeling of dread when he heard the sound of heavy boots approaching the base of the stairs. This sounded familiar to him, but not in a good way. Whenever he heard the heavy boots stepping on the floor, he knew something bad was going to happen. He counted the amount of steps until his father reached the top and entered his room.

'Craig?' he heard his father call for him lightly. Craig stayed silent in the closet. 'Craig?' his father called again, more serious and agitated. 'Please don't yell..' Craig wished. Less than a second later, his wish was crushed. 'Craig?!' his father yelled for him. Craig had to force himself to yell back. 'I'm in here!' he called.

He heard the footsteps approach the closet. He watched the shadows under the door, and the door flew open, lighting up the closet. 'You didn't hear anything, did you?' His father asked. 'No.' Craig said like a robot. He was forced into saying no for the fear he would be punished. He didn't want his mother to be harmed, either.

'I didn't hear anything.' Craig said. 'Nothing at all.' His dad put his hands on his hips and nodded at Craig. 'That's right.' his dad said smugly. His father walked towards Craig's bedroom door and shut it quietly. Craig counted down from ten. On zero, he ran for his bed and jumped under the covers. He curled up into a ball. 'I don't want him to get mad at me ever again, he'll hurt mom.'

The scene suddenly changed. Craig felt one of his cheeks against cool tile. His other cheek stung sharply. He felt as if he had been hit in the head with something heavy. He stared across the tiles. 'This is the kitchen...' he told himself. He saw his fathers heavy boots inches from his face.

'Who do you think you are?!' he heard his dad yell. Craig could hear his mom breathing heavily behind him. 'Thomas, stop!' she pleaded. Craig turned his head slowly back towards his mom, and tears welled in his eyes. His mother had multiple dark purple spots up and down her arms. Her shirt seemed worn out and torn from force. Craig turned his head back along the ground and looked up to see his father staring at him with a hateful gaze.

'Who are you trying to protect, huh?!' his dad yelled at him, challenging him. Craig suddenly sparked with determination. He felt weak, but he willed himself to use all the energy he could in order to protect his mother. He pushed his arms against the ground. He slowly ascended, and he slid a foot up towards his chest. His head was aching. He pressed against the ground, and slowly his body ascended. He picked up his other foot and planted it firmly on the ground. He was wobbly and lightheaded, he felt he was going to slip into unconsciousness. He managed to find his balance.

Besides his mothers rapid crying, the only sound that occupied the next few seconds was from Craig stomping his feet over towards his mother. She was the person who had loved him, protected him, and taught him everything. He limped over to her, trying his best to stay standing. He stopped in front of his mother, she looked at him with surprised eyes as she gripped her arm in pain. Craig's anger sparked. He turned his back to her, and slowly extended his arms. 'Who do you think you are?!' his father asked him angrily.

He raised his head to meet his father in the eye. 'My name is Craig Tucker...and I...HATE YOU!' That was the first time Craig ever uttered the words to his father. He stood in front of his mother, panting from his use of energy. Tears flew down his face and landed on the floor. He could hear the sadness in his mothers voice as she called his name.

'Craig...'


	16. KM: Longing

_**Author's**_** Note:** _The chapters...they just keep on coming! I've designed the story 'structure' to have one arc about every 10 chapters. Chps 1 - 10 were kind of like a 'season 1.' Chps 11 - 20 will be season 2. I'm not sure how long the other 'seasons' will be. I'm sooo excited though as we approach the end of Season 2. I couldn't have made it this far without all the encouragement and loyalty of my fellow readers. I really appreciate all you've done for me so far! Hope you enjoy the next part of my story!_

Chapter 16 – Longing

**POV:** Kenny McCormick

Kenny McCormick stood in his bathroom. He stared into the mirror, picking at his blond hair in an attempt to get it perfectly straight and smooth. Unfortunately, Kenny's hair was always a little fuzzy, he could never make it truly straight. He certainly didn't have enough money for a hair straightener or designer shampoos, but he tried his best to look good.

He pulled out a small peppermint gum pack and took out a piece covered in sparkly green wrapper. He undid the foil, and plopped it in his mouth. The peppermint stimulated his mind. It made him feel more focused. 'Fresh breath...' he was listing off the things he wanted to do before heading out tonight. He teased his hair a bit more, and gave up when he didn't want to risk lessening his appearance.

'Alright. Good enough.' He left the bathroom and walked through his tiny, run down home. Kenny never had a lot to do at home because of his family's financial situation. He enjoyed spending his spare time hanging out with his friends. Tonight he planned on meeting Stan at the movie theater for the showing of the new Terrance and Phillip movie.

He opened the front door into the cool summer night and closed it behind him. It was about a five minute walk to the movie theater from his home. He pushed his hands in his pockets, not really looking at anything along the way. He was excited for the movie, but he was even more excited he would get to see Stan. Stan had honestly became Kenny's best friend.

He enjoyed spending time with Stan. It made him happy to think their relationship with one another was strong. Kenny felt obligated to be there for Stan in Kyle's absence. Kenny had missed Kyle greatly, too. He guessed that him and Stan had gotten a lot closer because they both wanted Kyle. Through their bond, it was as if they were channeling their feelings to one another through expression, without speaking any words. The fun they had together was a medicine to the both of them.

Kenny hadn't always been as bubbly as he had been before. He had a few girls in school that were attracted to him; he would occasionally get hugged randomly at school. He loved the feeling of hugging someone. He felt it was the best way to connect to another person. He hugged Stan quite often, though the raven had rarely returned an embrace. 'One of these days...' Kenny was determined.

It wasn't long before Kenny was approaching the movie theater. Bright signs with flickering lights were displayed on top of the theater building advertising the new Terrance and Phillip movie. 'The bench outside the theater...' Kenny thought. There were two benches situated out front. The only bench Kenny could see was occupied by people Kenny didn't recognize. The other bench was on the other side of a long line of people who were lined up at the ticket booth, out of his sight.

Kenny walked straight into the line of people. 'Excuse me.' he said, weaving his way through them. He popped out on the other side and saw Stan sitting on the bench, holding his cell phone up to his face. He was tapping at it. He looked as if he was trying very hard to concentrate. Kenny assumed he was playing a game. He approached the dark haired boy.

Stan's concentration turned into a small look of self-satisfaction, a small victory tune sounded from his phone. It was then that he noticed Kenny's presence. 'Hey!' he said. 'I can't wait to see this movie!' He stood up. Kenny met his eyes. 'Me either, it's going to be great!' Kenny said enthusiastically. The two headed for the back of the line leading to the ticket booth.

They waited about 10 minutes before they reached the booth. 'Two for Terrance and Phillip please.' Stan told the movie employee through the plastic window. 'Just remember this movie has naughty language.' The movie employee had always been annoying with warning others about movies. 'Just what I love.' Kenny joked with him. Stan slid some money through the small hole in the bottom of the window. The tickets printed out and the employee slid the tickets out through a hole in the window. 'Next, please.'

'I can't wait!' Kenny was excited as they walked to the theater entrance. He had been so bored all week from a lack of things to do. He hadn't heard from Stan for awhile, he wondered if their last hangout at the beach had made things more awkward than they should have been. Though luckily, Stan seemed to be OK. He acted as if nothing had happened between them. Kenny silently decided to follow suit, nothing had ever happened as far as they were concerned.

They opened the large double doors into the movie theater lobby. Inside, a long hallway in the back of the building led to several different viewing rooms. Stan eyed the concession counter to their left. 'Want something?' Stan asked. 'Sure, whatever you'd like to do.' Kenny said. Stan had always been kind to Kenny. His parents were wealthier than Kenny, it was often that they would allow Stan some money to do something with his friends.

The two boys approached the counter. The concession employee tapped her fingers on the counter. 'I'll take...a large popcorn, two large drinks...and uhh...' Stan gazed into the glass display inside the counter. Inside, there were various candies spread out. 'I'll take two of those.' Stan pointed to a candy that was Kenny's favorite. It was a delicious chocolate that melted in your mouth. The cashier told Stan the amount and Stan paid him. The two boys moved further down the counter. The theater had a system where you paid first, then stood aside and waited for your order.

'Thank you, I really appreciate you doing this.' Kenny told him. Kenny really did appreciate Stan treating him. He didn't have the luxuries wealthier families received. Stan seemed to stare at nothing of importance as Kenny looked over at him. He seemed deep in thought. 'I wonder if he's thinking about Kyle.' Kenny wondered.

'Here you go.' one of the concession employees set their order on the counter. 'I'll take the popcorn and a drink.' Stan said. 'You take your drink and the candy, Ken.' Kenny obliged, picking up what he had been asked. The two boys walked down the long hallway. They stopped outside their assigned viewing room, and handed their tickets over. Stan nudged the double doors open with his shoulder.

It was large and spacious inside. Excited whispers echoed throughout the theater as commercials played on the large screen. Most of the seats were already taken. Kenny looked around, trying to find a good spot. There were two seats against the wall in the very back behind everyone else. Kenny didn't mind sitting in the middle of the theater, but he liked the idea of having a seat to himself and Stan without several eyes behind them.

Kenny tapped Stan on the shoulder and pointed to the vacant seats. Stan nodded in his approval. They headed over to their destination. Stan took the seat right next to the wall, and Kenny helped himself to the isle seat. He relaxed back into the soft cushion. Stan's presence next to him made him feel safe and comfortable.

He felt something light touch his knee. He turned his head downwards to see the large bucket of popcorn lightly resting on him. 'Want some?' Stan offered, lightly shaking the bucket. 'Thanks.' Kenny told him, grabbing a large handful. Stan pulled the bucket away.

Stan popped a piece of popcorn into his mouth. 'This is gonna be awesome.' he said, his eyes still glued on the screen. The commercials finally ended after a few minutes and the movie opening credits began. Excited cheers from the audience made the theater noisy for a bit. The noise died down after many annoyed hushes were made.

Kenny's impression after the first half an hour: It was a hilarious movie. Yet again, Terrance and Phillip were making their classical farting jokes. Kenny and Stan laughed together at their humor. A few minutes later he saw Stan shift in his seat. Stan nudged Kenny on the shoulder. 'I have to use the bathroom.' he explained. Kenny pulled his legs in, letting Stan squeeze by in front of him. He saw a bit of light appear in the theater as Stan opened the door behind him, then the theater returned to darkness yet again.

Kenny was working on his box of candy. He wondered if Stan knew this was his favorite. It made him feel special that Stan would remember that. 'I wonder if we'd have a friendship like this if Kyle was still here...' Kenny wondered. The blond thought about Kyle for a bit, zoning out. He missed his red Jew fro. Kyle had always came to him for advice, though Kenny was more of a backup friend to both Stan and Kyle.

Kenny saw a large figure move through one of the rows in the center of the theater. The person looked large, they squeezed in front of the other viewers. The bulky person popped out into the isle, and walked down the isle towards Kenny. Kenny looked back at the screen, trying to appear engrossed in the movie. To his surprise, the person abruptly stopped in front of Kenny. 'Kenny?' he recognized the 'cranky' voice. He looked up. He could just barely make out the facial features of Cartman in the dim light.

'Hey...' Kenny said. He wasn't trying to be friendly to Cartman, he always nagged on Kenny for being poor. Kenny had one of the purest hearts, one that made Cartman's heart look like a black hole. 'Watching a movie by yourself? How'd you pay for a ticket? Let alone candy?' Cartman asked.

'I'm here with Stan actually.' Kenny corrected, annoyed. 'Oh?' Cartman asked. 'I'm just hanging out with Clyde. I haven't seen Stan all summer, where's he at?' Kenny kept a hard gaze on Cartman. 'He just stepped out for a minute.' Kenny tried to keep the detail as small as possible. 'Oh, cool.' Cartman said. 'Good talking with you, see you around.' he said as he walked past Kenny and out the door.

Kenny let out a sigh of relief. He had been worried Cartman would try to pick at him endlessly. Luckily the fat boy seemed a little more tame today. Less than a minute later Stan re-appeared next to Kenny. Kenny silently pulled his legs in once more as Stan squeezed in front of him. His front side was towards Kenny as he squeezed past him. The view of the screen was blocked by Stan's hips. Kenny lowered his eyes, and nearly panicked when he thought Stan may have saw him looking. Luckily Stan said nothing and returned to his seat.

'Why am I acting like this?' Kenny asked. Terrance and Phillip made yet another fart joke on the screen, and the theater roared into laughter. Kenny's stomach hurt as he tried as hard as he could to stifle his laugh. Stan's eyes were watering next to him. Clear liquid rolled down Stan's face, he wiped it away.

Eventually, the theater had died down yet again, watching urgently for another joke. Kenny noticed Stan was hunched over forward. Stan sniffed and wiped his eyes. Kenny thought he had just been laughing at the movie. He leaned down towards him. 'Are you OK?' he asked. Stan took a deep breath. 'I'm fine, Ken...I just...never mind, it's nothing, I'm fine.' Stan rubbed his face a bit. Kenny held a hand over Stan's shoulder. Stan didn't seem to notice. Kenny wasn't sure if he should try to comfort his friend or not. His hand hung over his shoulder, but for some reason, Kenny wasn't sure whether or not he should try to comfort him.

He finally lowered his hand to Stan's shoulder, and gripped it for a second before pulling his hand away. Stan looked over at him. Kenny didn't want to make eye contact with him, he was a bit embarrassed from being so friendly. Stan sat up straight again and stared at the movie screen. Stan and Kenny laughed together throughout the rest of the movie. Finally, after Terrance and Phillip had finished the movie with a farting montage, the theater lit up and the viewers stood up from their seats.

'That was a GREAT movie.' Stan said. 'That was hilarious!' Kenny agreed with him. The two chatted to each other. They pushed the lobby doors and stepped out into the darker night, a cool breeze blowing through their hair. They paused on the sidewalk, facing each other. 'I had a lot of fun.' Kenny told Stan. 'I enjoyed it, too.' Stan told him. 'I'm glad we're friends, Ken.'

'Me too.' Kenny agreed. He really DID have a great time with Stan. This summer had been great so far for the both of them. They entertained one another, and hit it off very well. 'Want me to walk you home?' Kenny offered Stan. 'I think that's alright, Ken.' Stan said. 'No, it's not alright.' Kenny retorted. 'You brought me to the movie theater, paid for everything. Let me walk you home. It's the least I can do.'

Stan rolled his eyes playfully. 'Oh, alright.' he said. 'Yaaay!' Kenny cheered. He threw and arm around Stan and pulled him down the sidewalk. Kenny released his arm after Stan seemed to try walking faster to escape his grip. Kenny was a bit taken aback by the gesture. He tried to ignore Stan's refusal as he walked home with him.

'I'm glad we're spending time together.' Stan said out of the blue. Kenny felt his heart beat a little faster at Stan's compliment, it made him feel happier inside. 'I'm glad too.' Kenny replied coolly. They had reached the suburbs of South Park and were walking down the sidewalks towards Stan's home. Stan's home came into view a few blocks away.

For some reason, Kenny felt as if he hadn't achieved anything good tonight. He tried to make every meet up with Stan special in some way. Whether it was making him laugh, having a deep, philosophical conversation, or even skipping rocks, Kenny wanted to make every hang out unique.

'Hey Ken..' Stan started. 'About what happened in the movie theater...I hope that didn't make you uncomfortable or anything.' Kenny shook his head. 'No, no. You don't have to apologize. You can talk about it if you want to.'

Stan lowered his head towards the sidewalk. He put his hands in his pockets as he walked along. 'I wanted to see that movie with Kyle...I just wished he was here for it.' Stan said sadly. 'I haven't heard from him for over a year, Ken...I just worry about him. I don't know what he's done, where he's been, I've heard NOTHING.' Stan sounded upset.

'I'm sure Kyle misses you a lot.' Kenny re-assured him. 'Maybe he's just incredibly busy and couldn't get in touch with you.' Kenny tried. Stan didn't seem to feel comforted by the thought. 'Do you think he'll come back?' Stan asked Kenny.

Kenny froze in his place, surprising Stan. He turned to Kenny, watching him with surprised, deep eyes. Kenny approached Stan, and stopped closely in front of him. 'I don't know, Stan...but until he does, you should try to have as much fun as you can. I'm sure Kyle would want you to be happy no matter where he was.' Kenny reached down for Stan's wrist. Stan allowed his grip to stay as he looked into Kenny's eyes. He had a look of acceptance.

Kenny lifted Stan's hand into the air. He let his hand trail down from his wrist to grip his hand gently. He used his other hand to cover Stan's hand completely. Stan was speechless. His eyes had shown he was surprised, yet there were some deep emotions, too.

Kenny saw a flicker in Stan's eyes. For a moment, it looked as if Stan's eyes had glowed a bit brighter. 'You have friends who care about you.' Kenny told him. 'Now come on, let's get you in a good mood again.' Stan tilted his head questioningly, raising an eyebrow.

Kenny removed the hand he had used to cover Stan's hand. He leaned forward and tugged on Stan. Kenny started moving at a slow pace, then erupted into a hard sprint. They ran down the sidewalk together towards Stan's home, coming closer with every step. Their footsteps echoed throughout the silent night.

Kenny looked back at Stan as they ran down the sidewalk together. Stan grew a smile on his face the moment he made eye contact with Kenny. He let out a light chuckle. As they ran along, Kenny couldn't help but let out a laugh. Stan followed with a small chuckle. Before they knew it, the boys were both laughing loudly as they sprinted together. By the time they reached Stan's driveway, they were laughing and panting from the exercise.

'Haha...' Stan said with his hands on his knees. 'My God, Ken. You're too hyper sometimes, you know that?' he said. 'Anything to not get bored.' Kenny retorted. 'You're a lot of fun.' Stan complimented Kenny. 'Well, I better get headed home before the rats take over my bed.' Kenny joked. 'Bye Stan.' Stan regained his composure and stood up straight in front of Kenny.

'Bye Ken.' Stan said with his hands in his pockets. Kenny watched Stan closely. His eyes seemed as if he wanted to say something more. Kenny began to walk away. He gave a brisk nod to Stan as he left.

The streets seemed deserted on his trek home. He was only guided by the tall street lamps, the moon did little to illuminate the way. He noticed how plain it seemed without being around Stan. He missed walking with him already. He imagined what it would be like if Stan suddenly dissapeared. He wouldn't want Stan to vanish. He certainly couldn't fathom the thought of what Stan feels about Kyle.

A strong gust of wind picked up, rattling a few trees around the neighborhood. Kenny's blond hair flew all around from the wind. He crossed his arms from the chill. He felt a strange flutter in his chest when he thought about Stan. 'What's wrong with me?' he thought to himself, clutching at his chest. 'I feel...strange.'

Stan was fun to be around, Kenny admitted. Kenny could read Stan a few times, but other times he was reserved, it was hard to tell what was going on in his head. Kenny wasn't sure about what Stan felt about Kyle now. Though Stan still seemed saddened by Kyle's absence.

Kenny enjoyed seeing him smile. He knew Stan needed him, whether Stan realized it or not. He helped Stan cope with Kyle not being an active part of his life anymore. Kenny pictured Stan's face, smiling. It gave him warmth to think he could make someone smile like that. He wanted him and Kyle to be happy together. 'That's all I want...' Kenny thought.

'To see you happy..'


	17. CT: Don't Cry

**_Author's Note: _**_Wow this has been the longest chapter I've typed since Chapter 2, this holds the record for the longest so far. I have to admit it was very emotional to type this chapter out, I feel so bad for Craig. :c We're approaching the final few chapters of season 2 and I'm just so pumped for what's going to come. I have to admit, I really do wish they would show more of Craig on South Park, I love him to pieces. :))_

**_I'm going to take a quick moment to respond to a question asked in a review (could affect you, the reader):_**

**Q: **How old is everyone supposed to be?

**A: **_Great question! I totally understand why you would ask that. I actually intended to leave out detail on everyone's age because I wanted to encourage the reader to picture them however they wished! Some may prefer to see them as 4th graders (at the start of the story), others may prefer to see them up to their high school years. Personally, I imagine they are either in late middle school (7th/8th grade at this point) or early high school years (Freshman/Sophomore). We all have our preferences, hopefully I answered your question. :)_

_Hope you all enjoy! Thank you for your dedication!_

Chapter 17 - Don't Cry

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Craig wasn't sure how he had arrived here. This strange world was leading him through his past, and he was re-living events little by little. 'I have to be strong...' he told himself as he stood tall, staring hatefully into his father's eyes. 'I have to be strong...I need to protect her.' His mother was behind him, panting and crying from the pain. She used a shaky arm to support herself on the floor.

'Who do you think you are?' Thomas asked angrily. Craig looked into his eyes, confident. 'My name is Craig Tucker. I'm your only son.' Craig said. Though his voice was still monotone, his eyes shined with determination. He felt hateful, sad, yet confident and hopeful. 'I can't stand by while you keep hurting mom.' He held his arms out a bit farther, trying to shield his mother as much as he could.

'Craig...' He felt a hand lower his left arm. He turned around to meet his mothers eyes. 'Just...don't...' Craig looked at her in shock. 'I can't let him hurt you!' Craig said loudly. 'Honey...just...' she looked at the ground. 'It's your fault for all of this...just go away...please.'

Craig's heart felt as if it had been squeezed tightly. It hit him like a bullet. 'Mom...you can't mean that...' Craig said, his eyes welling up. 'No...don't cry...' he tried to tell himself. 'You can't look weak.' His mother looked back at him with sympathetic eyes. 'Just go.' she told him. Craig turned around back to his father, who was staring at him with hateful eyes. Craig lowered his other arm. Thomas approached Craig, his heavy boots thumping against the kitchen tiles.

His father knelt down to look Craig in the eyes. 'This is YOUR fault Craig. Why can't you behave yourself?' his father smirked at him. 'What have I done wrong?' Craig asked defensively. His emotions were rapid, and unstable. His thoughts were racing at extreme speeds. He felt as if he was about to go crazy.

His father glared at Craig. Craig avoided eye contact, and stared down at the floor. He could feel his fathers gaze burning into him. Craig felt as if his father could see into his soul, he was truly a frightening person.

'Craig...' his father started, Craig was surprised, and a little relieved his father hadn't yelled at him. 'Look at your mother.' Craig obeyed, he turned around and looked at his mother. She was still shaking, her eyes were deep as she stared at at the ground. Black bruises covered her cheek, her legs were skinny and wobbly, and her clothing was wrinkled and torn in a few places. Craig felt his father touch him on the shoulder, and turn him around to face him.

'That is what you've caused.' Craig's heart began racing at his fathers words. 'I...' Craig started, he was speechless. His thoughts rushed as he tried to do anything to assure himself it wasn't his fault, but he couldn't find anything. His father began speaking again. 'All you have been to us is another annoying mouth to feed. When you act against me, it is your fault you are hurt.' His father reached a hand up and lightly rubbed a hand across Craig's bruised cheek, swollen now. 'And sometimes, your mother thinks you deserve it.' Craig couldn't bear to look at his mother now.

Craig yanked his head away from his fathers hand. 'What have I done?' he asked, his emotions had caught up to him. His heart was aching so bad he felt like he wanted to die. Tears streamed down his face and onto the floor. His legs were wobbly. They gave way and he fell onto his knees. He punched the floor hard, hurting his hand, but he didn't flinch. 'What have I done for you to hate me?!' He lifted his head to his father, and stared at him with deep, hopeful eyes filled with emotions an ordinary person couldn't discover. 'I'm sorry, and I love you.'

Craig couldn't believe the words he had just uttered to his father. The very person who had treated him and his mother so horribly, he admitted he still loved him. Craig did, too. He wanted his father to love him, he just hated his actions. Craig had always tried hard to win his love. From the Christmas gift he had made when he was very young for the both of them, to achieving high grades in school, to doing a countless amount of chores and orders, they were all an attempt to prove his love for his family.

'I love you all.' Craig admitted. 'I don't want to be a bother, just please, tell me what to do, I don't want anyone to get hurt.' Craig's teardrops were falling faster now. His eyes were turning red from the emotional strain. 'Craig. Look at me.' his father ordered. Craig forced himself to look upwards and lock eyes with his father. His nose was running and he was panting. He raised a hand to wipe his face and nose.

'You're a troublemaker Craig. You're always trying to stand up against me to prove something. You're supposed to behave and love both of your parents. Do as you are told, and nothing bad will happen. If you cause trouble, whatever happens, like now, is your fault. Stay away from us unless we call for you. As far as I'm concerned, you're just another mouth to feed. Perhaps you co-'

He stopped talking and fixed his eyes on something behind Craig. His father stood up suddenly. Craig could hear light footsteps approaching from behind. His sister walked right past Craig and his father. She walked over to the kitchen counter, and took a cookie off a glass plate. She walked back towards Craig and her father, she was chewing on the cookie and looking at Craig and his mother. She turned her head towards her father, un-dazed. 'Is Craig being bad again?'

'Yes.' his father said. His sister left the room without saying another word. 'See? Even your sister knows how you are.' his father told him. 'You can start fresh tomorrow. Go to your room and think about what you've caused. Perhaps you'll behave better tomorrow.' Craig nodded silently, knowing there wasn't much he could do. 'Now go, and if you tell anyone how we punish in this family...you may not be here any longer.' His father pointed to the back of the room. 'Go.' Craig turned around, looking straight past his mother. 'I love you.' he said as he passed her. She didn't respond to his words.

Craig darted up the stairs into his room and shut his door. He had to shut it quietly, his father would definitely become more angered if he slammed his door. He looked around his room, plain as could be. 'Plain and boring...' he told himself. 'Just the way I like it.' Craig truly didn't like his room to be so boring, but he tried to mentally train himself to think otherwise. 'I like it...' he lied to himself.

He walked over to his bed and collapsed on top of it. He turned onto his back, staring at the ceiling. 'I need to stop causing trouble.' He told himself. 'I love my family, but hate them at the same time...' Craig truly did care about his family. He wasn't fighting back to cause trouble, but rather to prove himself to them. For some reason he didn't know, they had been nice as could be towards his sister, yet he was dirt to his family. He thought about how nicely his sisters room was decorated. Her room was full of expensive things. She was still so young, yet she already had a computer, her own mirror, dozens of stuffed animals, and even a larger bed than Craig.

Craig's room had plain gray walls, a bed with a Red Racer cover. He had plain white pillows, a brown nightstand, a lamp, and a small desk near the window. This was all he had, aside from a few small toys and books. 'Maybe I can save up my birthday money.' he thought. His grandma was the only one who had ever given him birthday money. She was also the only one who had shown Craig any sort of affection outside his immediate family. He loved it when he would be dropped off at his grandmas house during the summer, even though he assumed this was a way his parents could get rid of him for a bit.

His grandma had always been kind to him. She told him stories, played with him, made him laugh. When he was with his grandmother, he could be himself around her. Craig could always feel her love when he was with her. He had always wanted to live with her instead of with his own family, to get away from everything. 'I'm not good enough to live with her...' Craig closed his eyes. He was so frustrated at everything.

'I need to stop causing trouble...I need to be good...' he tried telling himself. Deep down, he felt a burning hatred towards his father. His father was a lying, egotistical hothead who wanted everything to be as he wanted, in his own, messed up way. His mother had blamed him for what had happened, siding with his father. Craig knew he didn't deserve the treatment he had been given, but he knew he had to brainwash himself to cope with it. Then there was his sister, who received special treatment and always turned a blind eye to Craig's situation. Craig had already forgiven her, though. She came into a messed up situation at such a young age, and their father had made it seem normal.

In fact, he probably loved his sister the most in his immediate family. He loved his mother deeply, but he wasn't sure why she had betrayed him like she did. Betraying him was one of the last things Craig had expected. He remembered the warm hugs he had given her. He remembered her gentle embrace, and how he rested his head against her shoulder, smelling her sweet perfume aroma. It was something Craig wanted desperately right now, but all he had was a plain room, and pillows.

'Maybe I can have a friend live with me.' Craig thought. 'Just something to keep me company, something I can have to talk to. I just don't want to be lonely anymore.' The bright light Craig had experienced before had arrived again. The world turned into a bright light that nearly blinded him. He shut his eyes tightly and felt as if he was in the middle of nothing yet again.

He awoke lying on his stomach across his bedroom floor, his elbows propped up against the carpet to rest his chin on. He watched Stripes dash around in his dark blue guinea pig ball. 'Today I got an A on my math test.' he told Stripes. 'I really didn't think I'd do well, but you saw how much I studied in here, right?' The little rodent squeaked playfully. Craig tilted his head. 'I love you, Stripes.' he told the little rodent.

The little rodent couldn't speak any human language. He couldn't tell Craig anything bad, it was a comfort to know the little creature wouldn't betray him. Craig saw a black hair hanging down past his eyebrow. He blew at it, sending it upwards. It fell down again in the same spot, Craig simply gave up. A knock suddenly sounded on his door. 'Come in.' Craig called, turning his head to the door.

His sister opened the door and walked over to Craig. She was carrying a small box covered in sparkly, silver wrapping paper. 'I didn't think you got birthday presents.' she said. 'But grandma sent you this.' Craig was surprised. 'For me?' he asked. He shifted himself to sit criss-cross on the floor facing his sister. She nodded and held the box to him. Craig took it from her hands. 'Thanks.' She didn't take time to acknowledge her brother, she just left the room silently and closed the door.

'Wow, Stripes. What do you think I got?' Craig set to work on ripping open the wrapping paper. Under the paper was a small, thin cardboard box. 'Wonder what's in here.' He worked his fingers around the box to break the tape and open it. He tossed the top of the box next to him and looked down at his gift. 'Wow...' he said.

He reached down into it and pulled out a dark blue hat with a yellow poof on top of it. 'This is...AWESOME.' he said. It was soft under his touch. It felt a little fuzzy, too. He puffed out the hat and lowered it onto his black hair. He felt the long blue extensions on the side of the hat come down his face and warm his cheeks. He turned to Stripes. 'How do I look?' he asked the rodent.

He was so grateful his grandmother had thought of him. She lived two hours away, so he rarely got to see her. A lot of times he would be dropped off at her house during the summer for a few weeks while his parents usually stayed home alone. They would make up lies about going on vacation, yet Craig had never seen them prepare to travel before. 'I wish I lived with her...' Craig silently prayed. She and Stripes were the most important people in his life at the time.

The bright light flashed yet again, Craig repeated the routine of shutting his eyes tightly. He opened his eyes after what seemed like a minute, unsure of what to expect. He found himself standing in freshly cut, green grass. He wore a small black suit and tie, along with his blue hat as he looked up at the sky. He smelled the fragrance of a flower he was holding upwards, not far from his nose. The clouds were dark, nearly black. Thunder rumbled overhead. He lowered his head, gazing out across the several tombstones that lined the cemetery.

Directly beneath him was a tombstone covered with flowers. He remembered this day from long ago. It had been one year since his grandmother had died of pancreatic cancer. Craig had never forgotten the day the news of his grandmothers death was delivered. The only words he was told was 'Your grandmother is dead.' and then he was left to grieve alone. The funeral had been on of the hardest things in his life.

This was the time of the year he paid his respects to his grandmother. Her love was something that he still felt inside of him. It wasn't something that would just go away. 'I miss you...' Craig said sadly as he read her tombstone. 'A loving wife, mother, and grandmother.' Craig smiled very slightly, but his lips quickly returned to a straight line. He knelt down on the grass in his black dress pants. 'I'll never forget you.' he said as he laid a flower in front of her grave.

He stood up. A single raindrop tapped his nose. Craig was too deep in thought to worry about leaving. 'You'll never know how much I loved you...' Craig said out loud. 'I wanted to spend more time with you when I grew up, to tell you all sorts of things...' Craig realized the one person who he loved more than anyone else in the world would never be on this Earth live and well again.

The clouds burst, and rain plummeted down from the sky. Craig leaned his face upwards, the water soaked his clothes. He spread his arms out wide, embracing the rain. 'Are you crying for me?' he wondered. The rain was cool on his face. He opened his eyes, and a flash of lightning erupted from the clouds. Craig lowered his head one more time to read his grandmothers tombstone. 'I hope your watching over me.' he wished.

Instead of the bright light from before, the world turned into a dark blue color. It seemed as if a mist had quickly gathered to shroud Craig's view, but eventually he felt himself floating once again. The light was a darker color, Craig didn't feel blinded by it. The blue mist seemed to grow into a lighter color as some light shined through. Craig's feet finally felt a surface beneath him. He stood in the mist, waiting for it to disperse.

As the mist thinned, Craig saw he was in a world full of color and light, flowing together. It was strange, it was a world that seemed like it had nothing but lights and color in it, yet it felt safe, welcoming, and even comforting. The mist finally dissipated, revealing more of the world. A few feet in front of him, he saw a small body with his back towards him. The person wore a blue jacket and a blue hat with a yellow poof on top, just like Craig.

Craig approached. He noticed the person was hugging their knees as he got closer. Their head was buried downwards, their face hidden from sight. Craig felt as if he knew what to do, even though he had never been here before. As he passed next to them, he reached out, planting a hand lightly on their shoulders. Craig walked around in front of them, and sat on the floor across from them, criss-cross. 'Don't cry.' Craig told them.

The person slowly lifted their head. Craig didn't gasp at who he saw. He had never expected who he would be looking at, yet he wasn't scared. He stared into the boy's tired eyes, red and puffy. The details on his face looked all too familiar. 'It's OK.' Craig told the boy. The boy spoke back in a monotone voice. 'How do you know?'

It was a bit strange to be looking at your younger self, Craig thought. It was him from when he was very young, from his kindergarten days. Craig felt as if he could feel a strong bond between him and his younger self. 'You know, things will get better.' Craig told his younger self. 'It doesn't seem that way.' his younger self pouted. Craig tilted his head slightly. 'I'm sure you'd be interested to know you'll find someone you really like.'

His younger self tilted his head at Craig, mimicking him. 'Are you sure?' Craig nodded surely. 'It's not going to be easy, but just remember you have to be strong.' he advised. 'I don't know why, but I just have a feeling things will get better...' Craig was glad to be in this world with his younger self, and he felt safe, and comforted. He honestly didn't want to leave.

'I know something you don't.' the younger one said. 'What's that?' Craig wondered. 'She told me.' his younger self pointed behind Craig. He twisted around. His eyes widened and he instantly felt his breath leave him. 'It can't be...' He turned back to his younger self. 'Here, I'll take you to her.' His younger self stood up, and extended a hand to Craig. Craig reached out, taking his hand and standing up.

His younger self had a grip that felt warm and gentle. He led Craig over to the woman who had appeared moments ago. When he was in front of her, his younger self released his hand. 'I'll leave you two alone.' Craig looked at his younger self with grateful eyes. 'Thank you...' he said. The young one held out a fist to Craig. 'Stay strong.' Craig felt saddened knowing this was goodbye to his younger self, he wished he could talk more. He held his emotions and smiled lightly. 'Stay strong.' Craig agreed. He extended his fist and bumped knuckles with the younger Craig. His younger self slowly became transparent, and then vanished.

Craig looked back to the woman standing in front of him. 'I can't believe it.' he said. His grandmother was standing in front of him. She had the same hair he had remembered, a bit fuzzy on top. She looked younger here. Her hair had more color and her face was less wrinkly. She smiled warmly at Craig. 'I've missed you.' she said.

Craig threw his arms around her and gripped the back of her shirt. He dug his head into her shoulder. 'I missed you too...' Craig choked. 'I've missed you so much...' He had already cried so much, he felt tired. A few teardrops strained out of his eyes. They touched her fabric, slightly wetting it. 'I love you more than anyone else.' he told her as he held on to her.

His grandmother patted Craig on the back, then released her embrace. She took Craig's hands in her own, and stared across at him. She lightly ran her hands across his, massaging them. 'I know what you've gone through.' she told him. 'It's hard Craig, I know. And it's not fair.' Craig nodded, and another tear left his eye. His grandmother released one of her hands to reach up and lightly brush the tear away.

It felt just like his grandmothers touch as he had remembered it. He wanted to stay here with her and his youthful self, to talk to the both of them. 'Can I stay with you?' Craig asked hopefully. His grandmother shook her head. 'It's not time yet.' she said. 'You have so much to do.' Craig bit his lip. 'Is it really going to get better?' he felt she knew the answer.

Concern grew on her face. 'Craig. I'm here to tell you something, you may not understand this, but you need to figure it out for yourself.' Craig was puzzled by her. 'What is it?' he prompted her. His grandmother let out a long breath. 'Craig...listen to me, very carefully.' Craig focused strongly on her.

'It may not seem like much is happening in your life now. There is a storm coming, though. You may be faced with a decision to control its winds.' She stayed silent a moment, then continued, making sure Craig seemed to understand. 'You will be faced with a choice in the near future, one that will seem hard at first. But even though it may be difficult, your choice will change your future drastically, but it depends on what you choose to do.'

'Can't you tell me what it is?' Craig asked. 'Maybe I could be prepared , so I could have more time to think.' His grandmother raised her arms and planted her hands gently on Craig's shoulders. 'I can't lead you through your life Craig, you need to start living for yourself, not for others. You'll never be happy if you keep trying to please others all your life.'

'I'm not happy now...' Craig admitted. 'My own family is against me, and I feel worthless.' His grandmother looked at him with sympathetic eyes. 'But Craig...you don't realize something. You could bring new life into this world. Look behind you.' Craig turned around, his grandmother kept a hand on his shoulder, and she held her arm around him as he turned to face where she had pointed.

He saw the back of a girl with long black hair. She wore a purple scarf and a purple hat. He recognized it was Wendy. 'What is she doing here?' Craig asked his grandma. 'She's here to help you get back, Craig. You'll be going back very soon. Go to her.' Craig turned to his grandma, worried. 'I'm scared, grandma... I don't know what to do, I don't want to leave you...I...I love you!' he embraced her tightly yet again.

She patted his back lightly as he sobbed into her shoulder. 'You can be happy Craig, that's all I want you to be. But it's not your time yet. When you live to be my age, you'll be grateful you have started a family of your own. You are my grandson, you always will be. I've warned you, be careful of your decisions, for they will decide where your destiny lies. I'm sure you can be someone great, Craig. I believe in you. Now go, she's waiting.'

Craig felt his grandmother kiss him on the cheek. They released their grip on one another. 'I'm ready.' Craig told her. 'I love you, grandma.' His grandmother looked back at him and gave him the warm smile he had always known and loved her by. 'Go, Craig, I'll be watching you, I promise.' Craig nodded to her.

He ran across the light towards Wendy. His footsteps didn't echo in this strange place. He gripped her wrist once he was next to her. She looked just as he had remembered her in the real world. 'Let's go.' He told her. Wendy nodded. The two ran through the light together. Suddenly, a large whirlpool of light appeared just a few feet in front of them. Craig froze in surprise, then realized this was the way to get back.

'Are you ready?' Craig asked Wendy. She turned to him and nodded. 'Yes, it's time to wake up, I'll help you come home.' This was it. 'Let's do it.' Craig told her. They sprinted for the edge, and leaped through the air, hands gripped tightly on one another. Colors surrounded them as they descended. The wind blew against Craig as he fell. He felt free, alive, and safe. Wendy looked at him as they fell. 'Wake up.'

Everything suddenly became black. In less than a second, Craig's brain was active again. He felt sore all over. Craig opened his eyes very slowly to be met with blurry vision. He coughed a few times as he tried to gasp for air. He felt weak and tired, and like he had literally been hit by a truck. 'Get up..come on...' he willed himself. His vision adjusted more clearly, and he found himself lying across the carpet exactly where he had been before he began dreaming.

'I'm alive...' he thought. 'Thank you.' He pressed against the carpet with his hands and slowly got on his knees. He made a great effort to stand up. He wobbled, unbalanced. He reached an arm out to press against the wall, his panic subsiding as he balanced himself. He rubbed his temple with his free hand, he had a splitting headache. He wanted something to numb the pain. 'Life will get better.' he thought of his grandmothers words. It was all a dream, but had seemed so real at the same time.

This was the world he would have to live in. His family was still the way they were. The ones he loved were gone, but Wendy was the last shining light in this world for him. She was what was keeping him strong and alive. He respected his grandmothers words. 'Don't cry from now on...' Craig told himself. 'Don't...cry.'

**...**

South Park was a place filled with secrets, life, love, and adventures. A new chapter was approaching for everyone. A storm was slowly approaching, one that no soul could have ever expected. Time flowed endlessly, second by second as everyone was unknowingly approaching their destinies. The winds would have to be decided by the choices of those who carried burdens in their hearts. The hearts and strong will of those who dreamed would be the strength they needed. It was a future they would have to decide, together.


	18. EC: With or Without You

_**Author's**_** Note:** _Phew! That last chapter really took a lot of energy to type out. I'm so pleased that I received positive reviews for it! Thanks again everyone for your dedication. My followers/favs are slowly growing and I couldn't be happier that people are actually enjoying something I created. I honestly didn't think I would have very many interested in the story, but I've already passed 3,500 views for my story...I am SO grateful for everyone's dedication, encouragement, and involvement. I hope you are all enjoying this arc so far! The final two chapters of season 2 are underway at this very moment, I can't wait to publish them._

_Lot's of love, fellow South Park fans! Enjoy!_

Chapter 18 - With or Without You

**POV: **Eric Cartman

'Stupid Bebe, why can't she let me have Clyde today?' Cartman thought angrily as he proceeded along the sidewalk. 'I have nothing to do.' The Saturday had arrived when Clyde had agreed to go on a date with Bebe and her friends, much to Cartman's dismay. Clyde had agreed to meet Bebe, Red, and Annie for something Cartman wasn't informed of 'The one friend I have right now...I can't hang out with him...man this sucks...' he thought.

He waddled down the sidewalk past the diner he had stopped in so often for milkshakes. His mother yet again told him he needed to get out and get some fresh air, but Cartman decided to pass on the milkshake today. 'She wants me to go out because I'm fat.' Eric's stomach rumbled. 'I want to eat so bad...' he told himself. 'I'm not sure if I can keep this up or not.'

A few days ago Clyde had inspired Cartman to lose some weight. Cartman knew that Bebe thought he was disgusting due to his size Cartman thought that if he looked better, he wouldn't be excluded from hangouts so often. 'I think walking is decent enough to start with.' Cartman told himself. He hated the strain from working out. He decided to start easy, with light walks, and skipping a meal here and there.

'It's too bad I have to go through this hell to lose a few pounds.' Cartman was annoyed. His stomach desperately craved junk food, but he forced himself to resist the temptation to turn back to the diner. 'I'll just take a walk down to the beach...' he told himself. Hopefully by the time he reached the beach and headed back home his mom would allow him to come inside again.

'Maybe she wants to shoot some porno while I'm away...' Cartman thought, disgusted. He had kept his discovery a secret from his mother. He knew she was engaged in the film industry, just not in the way he respected. 'I'm sure people would love to rag on me because I'm fat, and because I have a mom who's a whore.' he thought bitterly. 'Maybe I can change this summer...' he thought.

He kept a slow pace as he passed by a few different buildings. A couple was approaching Cartman, holding hands. The man and woman Cartman had never seen before gave him a judgmental look as he passed them. Eric was tired of people looking at him that way. 'I'll change that.' he promised. 'Maybe I can walk along the beach for some extra time.' he considered. The day was insanely hot, it was a good day to work out and sweat off a few calories.

Before long he had arrived at the beach. He dashed across the street and followed the gravel trail that led down towards the sandy shore. The sun hung high in the sky, unforgiving. 'I should take a break.' Eric thought, panting lightly. He was already sweating underneath his red T-Shirt. 'Phew, what a workout.' he told himself. The beach was very crowded today. Several kindergartners were laughing and screaming on the playground set as their parents sat on the benches to keep an eye on them.

A bit further off from the playground were several picnic tables lined up together. There was a large metal roof overhead that offered a shady sanctuary from the sun's hot rays. Eric headed for tit desperate to cool off. 'It's so...hot!' he thought to himself. He eyed a picnic table towards the back, near the sandy beach. He kept his eye on it as he entered under the metal roof. The air felt a lot cooler under here, but it was still very humid. Cartman passed by several groups of people sitting together at the tables, most of them continued speaking in quiet conversations. Eric gazed out at the lake as he took a seat at the picnic table, the waters were lightly lapping the shore.

Cartman glanced around at the other picnic tables. Most were occupied by groups of friends laughing and having fun together. Cartman looked down at the picnic table a bit awkwardly. He felt out of place here without someone with him. He desperately wanted Clyde's company at that very moment. 'Maybe I should go home...' he thought. 'There's no reason to be down here by myself...' He let out a sigh. 'I give up...'

Loud cheers erupted from behind Cartman near the lake's shore. Eric twisted around to see a volleyball net had been set up farther up the beach. Two teams were standing on either side of the net. The team closest to Cartman included three boys and two girls he had never seen before. 'Alright, it's four to four!' a tall boy shouted. 'Next round is for the win!' Spectators lined up on the sidelines, watching excitedly.

'Wonder if the other team will win.' Cartman thought, a bit amused. He had to admit he envied people who had physical strength and endurance. He eyed the other team, fixing his eyes on a boy standing at the front of his team, he looked like a leader. A beach ball was covering his face. As he tossed the ball up in the air, preparing to serve, Cartman noticed the familiar face of a brown haired boy. The beach ball came back down and covered the boys face. He used two hands to thump it over the net, and the game began.

Cartman widened his eyes as he recognized the familiar face. 'Clyde?!' He looked at the other team members. Clyde's team consisted of Tweek, Bebe, Annie, and Red. They were all in their swimsuits. Clyde wore his, but with a large gray T-shirt to cover his upper half. He had sweat running down his face and neck, and his shirt was soaked with sweat.

'No way!' Cartman thought. He stood up and headed for the sidelines to watch the game. The sun felt even hotter as he left the shade to walk over to the excitement. Clyde ran along the front of the net and bumped the beach ball hard as it dropped for the ground. 'Agh!' he heard Tweek say nervously next to him. 'Stay focused Tweek!' Clyde said as one of the girls from the other team bounced the ball back towards Clyde's team. 'I got it!' Annie said as the ball soared through the hair. She took a few quick steps, and held her hands together. She focused on the ball and bumped it back over the net. Clyde seemed zoned in on the game. His eyes were constantly fixated on the beach ball. Eric found a place on the sidelines, peering over the shoulders of a few people to watch the battle.

He watched Clyde breathing heavily, sweat ran down his face and dripped onto the sand. 'He's so athletic...' Cartman anxiously watched the two teams challenge each other. Both of them looked well built, but he silently hoped that Clyde's team would win. It would be even better if Clyde would score for the win, Cartman thought.

Bebe knocked the ball high in the air, it nearly brushed the top of the net. A boy from the other team jumped sideways in desperation to hit the ball. He hit the beach ball in mid-air, and slammed against the sand. He scrambled to get up. 'Watch this!' Clyde said, making his voice well heard. Clyde sprinted towards the net as the beach ball barely grazed the top of it. Clyde leaped high in the air, his feet left the ground. He bent his knees for momentum, and pulled a hand far behind him. He slammed it against the beach ball, and it flew down into the sand on the other side.

Excited victory cheers came from Clyde's team. The spectators roared in celebration as the other team gave each other defeated looks and dispersed. 'Agh, thank God!' Tweek squeaked out. Bebe ran up to Clyde and threw an arm around his neck, then jumped into his arms. Clyde caught her and held her up, cradling her. He spun her around, making her giggle. 'We won!' the team cheered in unison. Clyde's team formed a close huddle and started jumping up and down. The spectators walked out towards Clyde and his fellow teammates. Cartman saw several people congratulate each of their members. Clyde was the big star though, he had won the winning shot, and was adored by everyone.

Cartman walked over to the group of people huddled in the sand. Cartman was stiff as he stood behind everyone. He felt as if he didn't fit in with all the athletic activity happening around him. He was just excited to see Clyde's winning shot, and wanted to congratulate him personally. The group eventually thinned out as the fans said their goodbyes to Clyde and his team. Clyde didn't even notice Cartman standing behind him. He had his back to him as he held Bebe. Him and Bebe were chatting excitedly with Tweek. Red and Annie were along the shore splashing each other with water to cool off from the physical activity, giggling.

Cartman heard Bebe mutter something to Tweek. Clyde and Tweek exchanged laughter soon after. Tweek's laughter quickly halted as he glanced over Clyde's shoulders and made eye contact with Cartman without saying a word. Clyde turned around, swinging Bebe with him. Bebe's eyes widened at the sight of Cartman. She suddenly squirmed in Clyde's arms. Clyde allowed her to step down onto the sand. She hugged Clyde's arm tightly with one arm. 'Hey...' Clyde said, obviously not expecting Cartman's presence. 'Didn't expect to see you here.'

Eric ignored Clyde's surprised look. 'Hey! I came down here to take a walk and saw all of you playing...you guys were great!' Cartman complimented. He took turns making eye contact with Clyde, Tweek, and Bebe, then returned his eyes to Clyde. 'I wish I was that good.' He flicked his eyes as he saw Bebe lower her head and trail her eyes down Cartman's body with a blank stare. Cartman ignored her rude gesture, slight irritation was rising inside of him. 'So what are you guys doing now?' Cartman prompted Clyde. Clyde scratched the back of his head with his free hand. 'We were all going to go for a walk along the beach together.' Clyde said coolly.

'Which we should probably do NOW.' Bebe said loudly. She looked at Cartman with a dirty look. 'See you around.' she said boldly and turned Clyde away from Cartman. She returned an angry look over her shoulder as she walked away from him. Tweek gave Cartman a small smile, his eyes seemed sympathetic as he turned to follow the other two. 'Wait!' Cartman called out after Clyde. He let out a quiet hiss as he realized he may have just put himself in a very awkward situation. Clyde turned back to him with plain eyes. 'Can I join you?' Cartman asked hopefully. 'I actually wanted to walk along the beach myself for exercise...'

Clyde remained silent for a moment, and bit his bottom lip slightly. Tweek silently walked away from him and Bebe without saying another word. 'Cartman...' Clyde started, sounding a bit hesitant. 'I mean, not to be overly rude, but I honestly didn't expect you here.' Clyde said. Cartman felt a light pressure on his heart at Clyde's excuse. 'The more the merrier, right?' he tried to press. Bebe thumped her fingers in a wave along Clyde's arm. 'I'll give you two a moment.' she said. She gave Cartman a disgusted look and skipped over to Red and Annie. Cartman noticed the other two girls were now looking at Cartman. As they saw Bebe skipping towards them, they giggled. All the girls gave Cartman another distasteful look then walked along the shore, away from Cartman.

Clyde had a troubled look on his face. 'Eric, it's not that I don't want you here, it's just...' Clyde's eyes lowered towards the sand. 'I've already made plans and I promised the girls I would do some things with them.' Cartman raised an arm and extended it towards Tweek. 'What about him?' he asked, a bit irritated. 'Tweek is on my team.' Clyde explained. 'It was our plan to meet as a TEAM and then walk along the beach to celebrate victory.' he said. 'It's just, we ARE a team. And I promised everyone on the team we'd do something TOGETHER...' he looked nervous as he explained.

He gave Cartman a deep, apologetic look. 'I'm sorry Eric...we'll hang out another time, I promise.' Clyde said. He extended an arm out to Cartman. Cartman pulled away from him. 'Eric?' Clyde asked, a bit shocked. Cartman felt a mix of anger and sadness building inside of him. 'It's because they don't like me because I'm fat?' he asked, nodding his head towards the girls. 'You're just worried that I won't fit in, is that it?!' he asked a bit louder. Clyde was silent for a few seconds. As he opened his mouth to speak, Cartman shut him up by raising both his arms up defensively.

'You know, I'm sorry I'm not as fit as all of you...' Eric said venomously. 'Forget it Clyde, I didn't want to hang out with you anyway.' Eric turned his back to Clyde and walked away, biting his lip. He didn't hear another word from Clyde as he left the beach. Eric didn't even bother looking back to see Clyde's reaction. He thought he could sense Clyde watching him leave. He couldn't believe that the one person he thought wouldn't be judgmental of him had just dissed him and rejected his company.

Cartman decided to focus on his anger rather than his sadness. He couldn't forgive himself if he cried in public. 'Whatever...it happens.' Eric thought. He was jealous of Clyde. He was handsome, athletic, and a real ladies man. Even though Cartman really liked Kyle, another boy, he couldn't deny he had long wished for the acceptance and company of females from time to time.

As he trudged along the sidewalk, he passed a small resturant to his right. His stomach rumbled greatly. 'Oh, whatever, I just want to eat something before I go home.' He turned his head towards the glass windows and peered inside. Every table and booth inside was unoccupied except for a booth towards the windows. An older lady was sitting near the window, sipping soup out of a spoon. The sign on the window next to her advertised a daily special on soups and salads. Eric's stomach rumbled once again. 'Fine, I'll stop in there.' he told himself. He back-tracked to the wooden front door and pulled it open. He felt a rush of cold air meet him as he walked in. 'Sweet...A.C...' he thought happily.

The restaurant was fairly small inside. There were six booths total, with three of them lined up against the glass windows. At the other end of the resturant, three more booths were lined up against the wall. There were no windows on that side. Instead, dim lights hung overhead to provide light. Planted over the middle booth was a flat-screen T.V. playing some girly drama Cartman had never seen before. To his right was a bar counter, a man with a dark mustache and glasses was standing behind it cleaning a shot glass. He nodded to Cartman. Cartman eyed a sign saying 'Please seat yourself.'

He waddled over to the far end of the room, past a few tables. He decided to take the booth directly under the T.V. 'Dinner and a show.' he complimented himself on his supposed genius. He barely managed squeezed into the booth, his belly brushed up against the table. 'Ugh...' he thought in dismay. 'I'm too fat to even sit here comfortably.' he complained to himself. 'I need to lose some weight. Maybe then I'll have more friends, hopefully ones who won't be too picky about weight.'

The bartender muttered something to a woman as she passed by the counter with a brown tray. She had brown hair tucked into a ponytail. She was skinny, too. The woman eyed Cartman for a moment and muttered something to the bartender. She nodded to the bartender and turned to approach Cartman. Cartman smiled as she approached, trying to be friendly. She stopped in front of him, chewing some gum loudly. 'Hi, I'm Jasmine, I'll be taking care of you.' She pulled a small notebook and pen from her apron. 'Do you know what you want, or can I get you started with something to drink?'

For some reason Eric felt like he wanted to talk to someone, anyone. He allowed himself to try to be sociable. 'I heard you had a special on soups and salads today?' Cartman inquired. The woman paused for a moment, then tilted her head at Cartman. 'You want a salad?' she asked, acting a bit surprised. Cartman was instantly irritated by her question, but tried to hide it. He dismissed the thought of trying to talk to her. 'I'll just take a garden salad with french dressing and some apple juice.' he told her plainly. She scribbled silently on her notepad. 'Alright, I'll get your order up.' Jasmine said as she walked off. Eric leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table. He held his hands against his lips as he gazed around him. His eyes snapped on a sight outside the windows at the far end of the street.

Stan and Kenny walking with each other down the sidewalk. Cartman felt the urge to go out and greet the both of them, and invite them to eat with him. Though it was true they both had called Cartman fat before. He dismissed the idea and watched them walk silently. Eric could see Stan smile and laugh at something Kenny had told him. Eric thought about Clyde. 'I wish we were friends like that.' Cartman turned his head away from Stan and Kenny, hoping they wouldn't see him. He really just wanted to eat, leave, and go home to be by himself for awhile. He looked up at the large T.V. above him, still playing the drama show.

He looked at the screen, pretending to act interested in the drama. On the T.V., the camera focused on a tall, blond haired girl next to what Cartman assumed was one of her friends: a girl with short black hair. 'Why can't I have a close friend like that? Even the two girls on T.V. are better friends than what I've ever had.' he thought. The two girls sat on the couch in silence, playing on their cell phones. The blond looked over to her friend. 'I need to shape up a bit.' she said out of nowhere.

'You mean you want to lose weight?' the short-haired girl asked. 'You know how easy that is, just purge for a few days.' The blond shook her head. 'That's so gross.' Her friend looked at her and gave a slight nod. 'But it works. You never know until you try it.' The blond looked hesitant. 'I'm not sure if I want to do that...' The short haired girl turned her palms towards herself and ran them down through the air along the length of her body. 'I've done it before, and I think I look great now.' she flattered herself. 'Really, this is a great idea for weight loss when you need it.' The blond tilted her head. 'I guess...' she said nervously.

The waitress set a tall glass of apple juice next to Cartman. Cartman remained silent, as if she didn't exist. 'A great way to lose weight...' he was curious what the shows story was going to turn into. 'If those girls can lose weight that easily, maybe it'll work for me, too.' Clyde was pictured yet again by him. He remembered the look of Clyde's athletic body, covered in sweat. 'I'll be even better than that.' Cartman tried to encourage himself. 'First I'll get skinny, then I'll work out, and then I'll be the one who's fit enough to be popular.'

During his stay at the restaurant, he watched the drama show intently. He was surprised he was actually watching the show, as it was a bit feminine. He chewed on the last bit of his salad, a small piece of lettuce with a dab of dressing. It felt sweet and fresh in his mouth. The end of the episode was approaching. The camera shown the blond and her friend in the school hallway. The short haired girl closed her locker door and leaned against the locker with her shoulder. 'How is it going?' she asked her friend. 'I've lost five pounds already!' the blond reported to her friend to her friend excitedly. 'Wow!' Cartman thought. The show had portrayed that she began purging a mere two days ago. Static suddenly enveloped the T.V. screen as the channel was changed to a baseball game. Eric glared at the bartender behind the counter, who set the remote down in front of him. The bartender didn't notice his look.

The waitress came with Cartman's bill, which was nearly fifteen dollars. 'Here you go.' Cartman said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. 'Use the change as your tip.' he told her. 'Thank you, have a great day!' she said sweetly as she walked away from him. 'Not the best service, but oh well. I'm going to change soon. I could care less.'

Eric walked back home with a full stomach. 'Lose five pounds in two days...just like that...' Eric thought of the show. He rubbed his stomach lightly, pinching at his fat. 'That makes sense though, if you don't eat, you lose weight. Maybe I can tone up that way.' he considered the idea in his thoughts. He had heard a bunch of stereotypes about girls who throw up to make themselves look better. 'Can't say I blame them.' Cartman thought. 'That's not a bad idea...I need to lose weight quick, anyway.' He was eager to better himself, and willing to take risks to make that happen.

He arrived at the front door of his home when the sun was slowly descending in the sky. The slightest orange tint glowed across South Park as Cartman pushed open his front door. His mother's car was gone, and the house was silent when he stepped inside. He closed the door behind him and turned around to face the empty home. The quiet reminded him of his loneliness. He imagined a scenario of throwing a large house party, with several of his friends over. He felt a burning determination in side of him. 'I'll make that happen.' he promised.

He stomped up the steps and across the hall to the bathroom. He shut the door behind him as he entered, making sure to lock it, just in case. He gazed at himself in the mirror. He looked at his obese self, but felt a bit more comforted when he imagined great results. 'Give it time.' he said to his reflection. 'You'll look great in no time.' he said. He gazed across the bathroom at the toilet. His legs were shaking from the anticipation of his new weight loss idea.

He padded across the tile floor and knelt in front of it. He stared down into the bowl at the still waters. He saw the reflection of his chubby face staring back at him. He tried to imagine what he would look like without his extra chin, and with a better toned face. He imagined Clyde in his mind, and analyzed his qualities. 'Handsome, charming, smart...' he listed them off. He had hoped Clyde would help him get into shape, but that idea was long gone now. 'I'll look better, with or without you.'

He opened his mouth wide and stuck a finger inside.


	19. WT: Breakaway

_**Author's Note:** So close to 20 chapters now! I can't wait to release this next chapter, I'm so excited for the evolving plot. I've received even more favs/follows, and thank you to thos__e of you who have contributed to my work in any way. You're all my inspiration, I couldn't keep writing without the encouragement and loyalty you've all shown me! This __chapter was...difficult to type out. All I can say is that when you really like the characters in a story you write, it sometimes pains you with the challenges they face. Is it strange that you can like character better in your fiction, rather than the T.V. show? Personally, my favorite character at this point is probably Kenny. I love typing his __enthusiasm, and he's so...awesome! :)_

_2nd to last chapter for the second arc, let's rock n' roll! (Will update with chapter 20 ASAP!)_

Chapter 19 – Breakaway

**POV:** Wendy Testaburger

'Two weeks, and not one text or phone call...' Wendy thought worriedly. She sat criss-cross on her bed, looking out the window at the cloudy afternoon sky. 'Is he avoiding me?' she wondered. Wendy felt depressed, worried, and perhaps a little betrayed from Craig's sudden, strange absence. This was the longest time they had been apart from each other since they began dating. 'I hope he's OK...' Wendy was tempted to go to his parents house to see if he was doing alright, but she didn't want to meet his parents under awkward circumstances.

She recalled the last time they had seen each other at Stark's Pond. Craig had seemed so eager to leave, yet he wouldn't tell Wendy the exact details of why he had to leave her alone. 'I hope he's not seeing someone else...' she worried. She truly didn't believe Craig would betray her by cheating, but his lack of communication lately had made her wonder even the most disturbing thoughts.

'Maybe I should go out and take a walk...' Wendy thought. 'I need to clear my head, anyway.' Wendy hopped off her bed and headed outside of her room and down the stairs. As her feet thumped down the stairs, her father was moving to another room. He paused to notice her descending. 'Headed somewhere?' he asked.

'I'm just going out for a walk.' Wendy told her father. She hopped down the last step and headed for her shoes, situated neatly by the front door. She began pressing her feet inside her shoes, anxious to leave. Wendy looked over to see her father tilt his head and put his hands against his hips. 'Going out with that Craig again?' he said Craig's name with distaste.

Wendy huffed in annoyance. 'No, I'm going by myself.' she said, irritated. 'I'll be back in an hour or two.' she promised him flatly. She pulled open the front door and stepped outside, being sure to close the door behind her. She took a breath of relief when her father didn't pursue her further. She looked up at the sky. Darker clouds were gathering.

The air had the strange, yet satisfying feeling to it. The air was what Wendy had usually felt right before a large rain shower. A slight gust of wind breezed through Wendy's hair. The neighborhood trees rattled lightly. 'I have to be quick.' she told herself. She held her hand up to her heart, and squeezed it into a fist before dashing down her driveway and setting out on a light jog.

She felt like she was wandering aimlessly for a few minutes. Wendy headed in one direction, unsure of where she wanted to go. Wendy suddenly became tempted to move a bit quicker, eager to run freely by herself. She remembered how romantic her date with Craig had been on the first day of summer break. She pictured the day. She had grabbed his wrist and led him all the way to beach. They had ran all the way there. Wendy had giggled at Craig's surprised face as they ran together. She wished she could re-live that day with him.

An idea lit up in her mind as she recalled the date. 'The beach...' she said out loud. 'Maybe he's there.' Her curiosity perked, and she felt a new burst of energy course through her veins. Desperate to find her boyfriend, she moved at an even faster pace. As she dashed down the streets, she noticed there were very few pedestrians outside, likely due to the incoming rainstorm. Only a few cars occasionally passed by Wendy. She ignored the thought of people watching her run. It gave her pleasure to feel free, and be herself. Her parents would surely disapprove of her running.

Wendy began panting after a few minutes as her lungs wished for oxygen. She felt good just getting some exercise, she wanted to keep running. The thought of her finding Craig, whom she had been so worried about, was the biggest priority to her now. Wendy passed by several buildings, looking straight ahead as she ran. 'I'll find you.' she thought, determined.

Within a few minutes she was crossing the street towards the beach property. After moving past a small, empty gravel parking lot, she followed the gravel trail leading down to the beach. She looked at the playground, void of any activity. It was strange to see the playground without any children giggling and playing on it. The picnic benches under the metal roof were all unoccupied, and the volleyball net along the sandy shore swayed in the wind.

Wendy checked for any sign of Craig. She let her eyes slowly scan the area for any sign of life. Her effort was meaningless, she didn't spot a single person here. 'He's not here...' she sighed, tired from her exercise. 'Why wouldn't he talk to me?' she wondered. 'I haven't done anything wrong...at least as far as I know.' The lake waters churned quietly. Wendy loved the feeling of the air right before a rainstorm, she wanted to enjoy this night, and be herself. She wished Craig was with her. She felt confident he'd pull through and talk to her soon. 'He must have a good reason...' she tried to assure herself.

'Maybe I'll walk along the beach...' she thought. Walking along the sandy shore by herself was something she often did when she was troubled. 'Perhaps I can clear my mind...and relax a little bit.' She felt excited as another burst of energy flowed through her. The possibility of a rainstorm hadn't hindered her idea whatsoever. 'OK, sold. I'm doing it.' she said out loud, giggling a bit.

She moved over to the picnic tables. Wendy took a seat against the wood and lifted her foot over a leg. She worked both of her shoes and socks off and set them under the table, assuring they were sheltered from the incoming storm. The concrete beneath her bare feet felt rough against her soft skin. She slowly walked across it. It was relieving when Wendy had finally placed her feet in the grass. She watched her step as she approached the sandy shore. When she approached the sand, she jumped up in the air, slamming her feet down into the soft sand.

Wendy loved the feeling of the sand squish between her toes. She could feel every grain touch her softly. The softness reminded her of earlier walks along the beach. As Wendy gazed out at the waters, she took a moment to pause, re-thinking a familiar time. She recalled the walk she taken immediately after her break up with Stan. The walk had allowed her to feel better from their ended relationship. Her heart truly did ache from the breakup. She had once wished they could be as one forever, but that ended when she made the choice to breakup due to her jealousy.

Wendy knew that Stan had a strong bond with Kyle, there was no doubt in her mind about that. It had made her jealous to think about Stan making plans with his friend just as often, perhaps even more often, than her. Wendy noticed that since Kyle had left, Stan had seldom even mentioned him. 'I wonder how he's doing...' she wondered about Stan. When Wendy gazed into his eyes at Stark's Pond, she had seen something in his eyes, something she had known after dating him for so long. She had seen his suppressed sadness. He was silently suffering, but tried to hold himself together as best he could. Wendy felt sympathetic for him.

Wendy suddenly snapped back to the present as a rain drop tapped on her nose. She had been so pre-occupied in her thoughts her breathing had steadied now from the long run. Wendy gazed down at her turquoise toenails, painted perfectly. Her eyes snapped to the side when she noticed a lone set of footprints leading a trail along the length of the beach.

'Is someone else here?' she wondered. She stepped slowly around the footsteps, and eyed the trail down the beach as far as she could see. 'Did Craig come here?' she wondered hopefully. 'Only one way to find out...'

Wendy started to run off, eyeing the footprints as the wind blew against her face. The footprints almost seemed familiar to her, somehow. They seemed to be the same size as Craig's feet. Wendy hoped desperately it WAS Craig. She wanted nothing more than to find him and make sure he was OK. She wanted answers, too. She needed to know why he had disappeared without telling her.

Another raindrop fell against Wendy's hair as she began breathing more rapidly. 'Keep going.' she willed herself, ignoring the rain shower approaching. Raindrops fell on Wendy nearly every ten seconds as she followed the trail. The looming storm overhead was something she ignored.

Finally, after several minutes of jogging, Wendy had passed by some rock walls rising over her head. She saw the sand bank had seemingly stopped at a dead end, until she saw footprints in the sand leading around a curve to the right. Wendy followed the footprints around the rock to be met with an unfamiliar, yet beautiful place.

A U-Shaped gorge had been hidden from the view of the main beach. Rock walls rose high around a small, sandy shore along its edges. The water had worked its way into the gorge, lapping against the far end. 'A private swim area...' she thought excitedly. 'This is incredible.'

At the far end of the gorge trees shaded a large rock situated directly in front of the churning waters. Wendy gasped as she a familiar sight leaning against the rock. He held his head downwards, hiding his face. The dark blue clothing was something she had seen many times, and something she recognized instantly. 'Craig!' she thought in relief. 'It's him!'

She sprinted for Craig, desperate to be close to him again. He seemed unresponsive as Wendy approached. Her worry was becoming more intense as she neared him. He seemed as if he was out of touch with reality. He looked lifeless, tired, and still.

'Craig!' Wendy called to him when she was inches away. She knelt next to him. His dark, black hair was down past his eyes as his head hung low. She threw her arms around his neck. She closed her eyes as she guided his head with her hand, kissing him lightly on the cheek. His hair felt warm, and she was glad to feel him once again. As she opened her eyes, she gasped when she noticed Craig's injured face. His face was covered with red, black, and blue nearly all over.

'Craig...? What happened?!' she asked, worried. He stared at her with tired eyes. His silence had worried her even further. 'I find him beat up...away from everyone else, after not talking to me for two weeks...' Wendy felt frustrated at his lack of communication. Maybe this could have been avoided if he would have been around her, Wendy thought.

'Craig...I find you here...beat up, away from everyone else...You haven't talked to me in two weeks. You haven't bothered to text or call...Just what is going on here?' Wendy pressed, slightly irritated, yet concerned. Craig reached up and grabbed her hand, lowering it from his face and grasping it in his. 'I'm sorry.' Craig said plainly. 'It's just been a difficult few weeks for me.' Wendy grew annoyed at his indirect answers. 'What happened, Craig?' she pressed more firmly. 'I need to know you trust me. I can't just let you disappear on me...I worry about you!.'

Craig's eyes watered as he looked into Wendy's eyes. 'Please...' he said. 'Don't make me tell you.' His mysterious persona had bothered Wendy to no end.

Craig turned his head towards the waters, Wendy saw a rain drop tap his head. He turned back to her, and took a short breath before speaking. 'I'm sorry, but I just want to be alone right now...' Wendy's heart ached at his comment. She didn't understand why he was being so cold towards her. 'You want to be alone? What have you done for the past two weeks?!' she asked angrily.

There was a tense pause before Wendy spoke again. 'You won't even tell me how you got hurt?' she asked. Craig remained silent at her question. 'It's not your concern.' he told her plainly. Wendy's anger was slowly rising. 'Yes, it is my concern!' she said frustratingly. 'I don't talk to you for two weeks, then I find you here, beat up and in pain. You're away from everyone else...Craig, what is going on here?!' she stomped her foot against the sand.

Craig looked up at her, his eyes were deep and emotional. 'I know it seems strange, but it's got nothing to do with you. I just need a bit more time to think about things.' Wendy shook her head, her eyes began to moisten. 'Think about what? Are you going to tell me ANYTHING?! We've been dating for almost two years, Craig! You've always been mysterious and you know something I don't. I share everything I can with you, yet it seems you never make any effort to share much about yourself. Don't you trust me at all?'

Tears streamed from Craig's eyes. 'I love you, very much.' he said plainly. For some reason, the monotone voice that had never bothered Wendy before seemed dark and hurtful now. Even with Craig's eyes, deep and emotional, she felt uneasy at his comment. Wendy shook her head slowly, and looked down at the ground. Her eyes watered and she snapped her gaze back to Craig's eyes. 'I don't even know who I'm talking to...literally.' Wendy said sadly. 'I'm sorry Craig, but if you can't share things with me...' her words hung on a long silence.

The raindrops became more rapid as the storm got ready to break. Light thunder rumbled overhead. The two shared an intense look with each other as the seconds ticked by. 'Please Wendy...' Craig begged as he stood up slowly. His eyes filled with pain as he grunted while trying to stand up. 'Please...' he said as he tried to balance himself. He limped over to her, his bruised face, sad eyes, and pain scared Wendy.

Craig extended his arms towards her. Wendy became frightened, and took a quick step back. Craig must have relied on her to hold on to. He collapsed on his knees against the sand. He winced in pain at his fall. He tilted his head to her. 'Don't leave me, please...' he pleaded. The storm broke and rain began to pelt down around them. Large raindrops soaked Wendy. She watched the rain pound against Craig's hair, slowly becoming wetter.

'You scare me, Craig.' she forced out. 'I'm sorry...' Craig slammed his fist against the ground. 'You don't understand.' he said. 'Please, just give me some time, I'll open up to you more, I promise. I've never been happier with anyone else, and things in my life aren't the easiest. Please, just have a little understanding, I promise I'll make this up to you.' Light ripples exploded across the lake. The rain seemed to have an odd effect on the time from Wendy's perspective.

Wendy's eyes burst with multiple tears. She felt so saddened, watching Craig begging before her. Even though she felt sorry for him, she honestly felt he had betrayed her. Someone Wendy had dedicated so much time and love to was denying her honesty and instead leaving her with dreadful thoughts and concerns.

'Craig...' she choked out. 'I truly thought you were an amazing person. I wanted to get close with you so I could know you better.' She felt a lump in her throat. It was difficult to speak as tears streamed down her cheeks. 'But with you beat up like this...and keeping secrets, and never telling me a THING about your personal life, and always avoiding my questions...I'm sorry Craig, that scares me.' It truly did frighten Wendy. She didn't know what sort of acts Craig had been engaged in, but she knew her safety had to come first.

'Use the summer to heal yourself, and get your life together. I want what's best for you, Craig...but I can't be with someone who treats me like this...' she felt as if she would break any moment. 'I'm sorry... goodbye!' Wendy turned her back to him and ran through the rain, leaving him to his own sorrow.

'I'm sorry, Craig.' she thought several times as she ran. She was glad when she had reached the curve and stepped completely away from Craig's eyesight. She pictured him in the rain, begging her for another chance. Her heart throbbed with pain, but the rain against her face made her want to keep running.

'A heart will break...' she closed her eyes, feeling the rain splash on her face. 'And a heart will mend...' Another breakup hadn't been any easier for her. She already missed Craig and his gentle touch, his monotone voice, everything was gone now. Wendy knew she would likely never hold his hand again, and it pained her to think he never really opened up to her.

'I wish you all the best Craig...I hope you make someone happy in your life...'


	20. (?): Malice

_**Author's Note:**__Happy 20th Chapter! So so so so glad to have finally wrapped up yet another season. Chapters 10 - 20 have definitely been a treat to write. I've really grown to like my characters. It's strange because in my FanFiction, I like some characters more than others on the T.V. show. My two favorites are definitely Kenny and Craig for the time being. I really hope you see this chapter as a good prelude for the next arc. I'm ** .EXCITED. **for what is to come. This story has merely scratched the surface. There will be a lot more incoming, so stay tuned._

_In preparation of the next arc, please stay patient as I take a break from writing. I'm expecting about a week before I begin season 3. _

**_AND TO THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE STUCK WITH THE STORY FROM CHAPTER 1, AND READ EVERY CHAPTER UP TO HERE. YOU RECEIVE A SPECIAL IMAGINARY KITTY STICKER! *STICKS ON HEAD* YAAAAAY!_**

_Enjoy lol :D_

Chapter 20 - Malice

**POV:** ?

The South Park mountains were being pelted by large raindrops. The night time thunderstorm was unforgiving. The rain seemed to be falling endlessly. Drops pattered against the wilderness high in the mountains, not far from the edge of a rocky cliff. The trees rustled from a sudden gust of wind. Mountain critters scampered all around in a noisy panic, trying to find shelter from the relentless storm. The sounds of nature were interrupted by a distant rumbling sound travelling through the forest.

A small trail leading up through the forest towards the cliff's edge was occupied by a rider on a jet black motorcycle. The dim headlight of the motorcycle shined through the heavy rainfall. A skull ornament on the front of the bike glowed from the moisture and moonlight. The rider revved the engine loudly with a gloved hand, sending birds flying from their shelters in fear.

The motorcycle roared up the hill without any trouble. The back wheel sent gravel flying upwards behind it, littering the forest with tiny pebbles. The rider twisted the throttle, steadily accelerating. They broke from the forest and out onto the slippery cliff. The rider jerked the bike, and slid sideways along the surface towards the edge. The steep fall approached the driver, who remained unafraid.

The human squeezed the breaks hard. The bike screeched as it slid atop the slippery rocks. The rider stomped their right foot on the ground as the motorcycle came to a sudden halt. Their boot slammed against a puddle, splashing dark water up into the air. The dark figure peered over the cliff's edge at the long drop below, uncaring that they were just a few feet away from death.

The silent rider balanced the bike by placing a foot on either side. Within moments the bike was steady again as the rider found equilibrium. Rain pelted against the figure's metal helmet. A helmet visor came down across the stranger's eyes, covering their facial features and partially protecting them from the rain. Their dark orange riding uniform was soaking wet. The rider's thighs ached from a long journey, but a burning desire to reach their destination had given them the energy to continue.

The rider glanced down the cliff at the long drop they had avoided. 'I guess death wasn't with me today.' a boy's voice sounded through the rain. The motorcycle rumbled lightly in the night. The boy leaned against his right foot and used his left foot to smack the kickstand to the ground. He pushed against his right foot, allowing the bike to tilt back over. It rested perfectly against the kickstand. The male turned the ignition key, silencing the rumbling and dousing the dim headlight.

With the absence of the motorcycles rumbling, the noise returned to the familiar sounds of nature. The driver stood up on one foot and swung their other leg across the top of the bike gracefully. The boy was glad to stretch his legs from the lengthy trip. He was tired, aching, and soaked from the weather conditions. A nice room and a shower sounded very inviting.

The lone person slowly walked towards the cliff's edge, unafraid of the potentially slippery conditions. He stopped when his boots grazed the very edge of the mountain. One wrong step would mean instant death for him.

He peered through the dimness of his visor, and eyed his destination far below him. He fixed his eyes on a quiet little mountain town far in the distance. South Park was in clear view from this height. There were very few houses lit up this late at night. South Park almost seemed lifeless, the mysterious male did not see one pedestrian among its streets.

Feelings of familiarity entered the mind of the rider from looking at his past home. Another gust of wind picked up, seemingly wanting to push the boy off the mountain's edge. The male ignored the nature and scanned the entire town, resting his eyes on each building for a few moments before continuing. 'This all looks so familiar.' he thought to himself. 'Just as I remember it...' The boy assumed nothing had changed since he had been separated from his hometown, and it seemed he was right in his assumption. 'It's been too long...' the boy thought back to the last time he had been to South Park. It had seemed to him it was a very long time ago since he had stepped a foot on his hometown.

The boy reached into the back pocket of the orange riding uniform, and pulled out a small black object. With the flick of a finger, a silver blade ejected. It hung still in the night, shining from the dim moonlight. Rain tapped against the sharp blade. The liquid ran down to its pointed edge and dropped onto the ground underneath it.

The rider tilted the knife enough to see their helmet reflect against the shiny metal. The boy tried to look into the reflection to see his face, but the darkness and rain around him had made it a wasted effort. He held the knife out at his side as he closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath of the crisp rainy air, savoring the nature. The boy recalled the event that had led him here. A week ago he had received something valuable that led him back to this town, his home. He played the memory in his mind.

He had driven through a far away town many nights ago. His motorcycle sped through the streets, bold and uncaring. No rain fell that night. The stars were well lit, twinkling in the sky. The driver passed many tall buildings as his bike bumped against the hard pavement beneath him.

'Just a few more blocks...' he had told himself. He counted as he passed each block. 'Two...one...' he counted down as drove. He was halfway down a block when he eyed an alleyway between two tall, brick buildings. 'Here.' An abrupt turn to the left across the street led the rider into a dimly lit alley. Brick walls rose above his head as he rumbled down the thin strip. Trashcans and garbage littered the small path. The rider looked straight ahead as he drove, and eyed a figure in the distance. Half-way down the alley, a tall, thin man wore a dark suit and a fedora hat, waiting for his arrival.

The rider pulled behind a dumpster moments later, being sure to be out of sight from anyone who may decide to peer down the alleyway. 'Caution is always a good thing.' the rider thought to himself. He kicked the kickstand to the concrete beneath them, and stepped off the bike, flinging a leg over. He eyed the man in the fedora hat, he noticed he wore a black handkerchief up past his nose. His eyes were well hidden under the shade of his hat's rim.

'Do you have it?' the rider asked under his helmet. The man in the suit nodded. 'Yes. As we agreed...' He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out a small photograph. 'Are these the ones you're looking for?' he asked, extending his arm to hold out the picture. The rider snatched the photograph with gloved hands. He ran his eyes over it before nodding at the suited man. 'Yes, that's them.' the rider confirmed. The suited man held his head down low as he spoke. 'Go to South Park. I assume you are familiar with the location?' he asked slyly. 'Yes.' the rider replied.

Back in the present, the dark figure high in the mountains was staring at the same photograph. The rider trailed his knife across the picture, counting the number of people in the image. 'Four of them.' he said out loud. There were four boys in the picture, standing next to each other in a line. They all had their arms extended around each other, smiling at the camera. The rider trailed his knife over the face of a boy in a red poof ball hat, a brown jacket, and dark blue pants. 'Stan Marsh. I'll never forget that hat of his.'

He analyzed the next boy. He used his knife to tap against his body. This one was chubby, and wore a red jacket and a light blue hat with a yellow poof on top. His double chin was blatantly obvious. It was unmistakably a the familiar, distinct face the boy had remembered. 'Eric Cartman.' he confirmed.

The next boy was standing next to Eric. He had blond hair poking out of a tightly wrapped orange parka hood. The rider tapped his knife a few times against the boy's body. 'Kenny McCormick.' he recalled the boys name. 'The only one I knew who wore a parka like that...'

Lastly, the knife rested against a boy at the end. Dark red hair was hidden under the green hat the boy wore atop his head. He had a bright orange jacket and dark green pants. 'Kyle Broflovski.' the rider identified the last boy. The driver felt strange when he looked into Kyle's eyes.

The boy turned from the cliff's edge and walked over towards the woods. He eyed the closest tree with an unseen expression. The leaves above the tree were dripping from the rain shower, still unforgivably erupting over everything. The boy planted the photograph firmly against the tree, and extended his arm with the knife far behind him. He thrust the knife into the photograph, pinning it firmly to the tree. The small picture stuck against the wood, slowly becoming wet from the dripping rain.

'Soon...' he told himself. He returned to his motorcycle and ran his hand along the seat, brushing off small bits of water. Thunder rumbled overhead as the boy regained his seat on the bike. He turned the ignition key, the dim headlight shined once more. The boy used his right foot to slam against a pedal on the side of his bike. The engine rumbled to life instantly. The rider gazed once more down at the small mountain town of South Park. 'I'm coming...' he thought to himself.

He kicked his kickstand back off the ground. The boy twisted the gas throttle and threw both legs up to rest. The motorcycle turned back towards the forest slowly. As it aligned with the trail, the rider twisted hard on the throttle, making the motorcycle roar loudly. He zoomed down the trail and back onto to the main road.

The freeway was deserted as the rider soared down the mountain. The boy passed a small sign indicating South Park was nearly ten minutes away. Each image of the boys flashed in the riders mind as he sped down the mountain, following the twisting road towards South Park. 'Stan Marsh...' The rider paused his thoughts as he followed a curve, leaning far to the left to maneuver around it. He balanced again as the road became straight once more.

'Eric Cartman...Kenny McCormick...' he took a moment to recall the last boys name. His bike splashed against a puddle, sending water flying behind him. A sudden blast of lightning erupted directly behind the rider, followed by a loud boom of thunder. 'And Kyle Broflovski...' the final name brought satisfaction. The boy grinned under his dark helmet. His feelings of malice were possibly going to be fulfilled.

'Your deaths are approaching.'

**...**

**Elsewhere...**

A boy stood on a wooden dock gazing across the sea. The sun shone down warmly upon his face. The harbor around him was filled with activity. Several boats were sailing in the distant waters. Other boats were parked in the water, lightly bobbing up and down from the small waves. A slight breeze passed through him, chilling him to the bone. He fixed his eyes on the horizon, wondering what time would bring him.

He squeezed a green hat in his hands.


	21. KM: Kenny's Prophecy

_**Author's Note: **Alright! Season 3 is finally here! I have a great arc lined up for all of you and I'm hoping you'll all enjoy the next installation in this unique FanFiction! :) Looking back at my story, I've really noticed there seems to be a LOT of premonition for what is to come (Chapter 20 left us on a cliffhanger). While I won't give away any spoilers, I truly believe this arc is going to be an exciting one. I'm looking forward to bringing my ideas to life and sharing them with you all. I think the first two arcs pale in comparison for what I have planned this season. _

_This chapter takes the record for the longest FanFic chapter I've typed (6,076 words)...Just for a fun fact._

_Enjoy!_

Chapter 21 - Kenny's Prophecy

**POV: **Kenny McCormick

It was Kenny McCormick's turn to dream.

His eyes flew open to the sight of a dark night sky above him. Each star twinkled in the sky as snowflakes fell around him in multiple colors. 'Where am I?' Kenny wondered sleepily. Kenny was lying on his back, he felt cold all around him. His body felt exhausted, as if he hadn't slept well in a long time. He jerked upwards and sat upon the cold snow, it crunched beneath him as he moved. Kenny was wearing his winter clothes here. His hands were covered by the warmth of his fuzzy mittens, torn in some places, but they did little to warm him. Kenny stared down at the snow beneath him with curiosity.

Kenny reached down and gripped a chunk of icy, hard-packed snow in his hand. It felt strange to touch snow once again. This world was definitely mysterious in its own way, yet Kenny felt strangely familiar with it. The blond felt the icy cold of the snow burning through his gloved hand. He tilted his hand, sending the snow back to the ground with a light plop. 'Why is there snow here? I thought it was summer...'

Kenny huffed as he lifted himself off the ground and onto his feet. He stumbled slightly as he tried to maintain balance. He felt as if he hadn't moved, and had been trapped in this dark, cold world for a very long time. He rested a fuzzy mitten against his aching forehead, wondering how long he had been here. He wasn't sure if he should feel safe or afraid from being here, it seemed as if the world had a sense of nothingness to it.

A gust of wind picked up, slicing right through Kenny's orange winter clothes. It was a bitter cold tonight, making his body ache. Kenny wanted nothing more than a warm fire, and another person next to him. Kenny hated the feeling or thought of being all alone. 'I need to get out of here...' he declared. He looked around into the darkness, trying to find a clue that would lead him back to , a strange noise sounded in the distant darkness. Kenny knew it sounded familiar, yet he couldn't figure out what it was coming from. He thought it sounded like a clicking noise.

Kenny padded off in the direction of the noise into further darkness. The light breeze of the wind led the snowflakes past Kenny, beckoning him to continue. The dim glow of the natures creation lit his way. The snow crunched beneath his worn boots. He held his arms around himself, trying to stay warm. Kenny tied his orange hood tighter, trying to warm his numb ears. Through the darkness, Kenny spotted a dim light shining far in the distance. He wanted to run for it, but a strange sense of cautiousness kept him from doing so. He continued onward at a slow pace, his eyes were glued to the dim light as he approached.

As he walked closer to the faint light, he noticed where the brightness was coming from. A dimly lit iron street lamp contained a candle inside its glass panes. The flame struggled to stay lit, almost as if it had a life of its own, and was freezing from the cold. 'This place seems so familiar...' Kenny thought. He had never been here before as far as he could remember, but the world had a strange feeling about it that Kenny knew he had experienced elsewhere before. 'But what is it...?' Perhaps it was the presence or strange feeling surrounding this world, perhaps a certain essence made it feel so familiar to Kenny.

Kenny raised a mittened hand and felt against the glass pane of the lamp. The glass slightly warmed his hand, he longed for a bigger flame. He lifted his other hand upwards to rest on the glass. 'How do I get home?' he wondered. He lowered his head and stared at the ground, allowing himself to warm his hands for a moment. 'Am I ever going to get out of here?' Kenny wondered.

In a silent instant, another small flame illuminated itself a few yards away from Kenny. Kenny watched in awe as the dim light of the two street lamps extended into the darkness. The light stretched slowly over the cold ground, exposing more cold snow. The light had defied the normal physics of the real world, it was as if the dim light could travel anywhere in this dark place. The light spread to a small area between the two street lamps. Kenny recognized a familiar sight awaiting him.

An old, metal swing set lay dormant and unoccupied in the snow. Kenny stared at it with curiosity as the snow continued to fall. Kenny felt as if the world was silently beckoning him to approach it. Kenny lowered his hands off the glass panes, a bit irritated they had to reunite with the cold once more. He stuffed his hands inside his parka pockets in an attempt to keep his hands warm. He took slow, careful steps as he approached the swing set.

The light creaking of the swing set cut through this silent world with a sharp noise. It seemed as if the entire world became loud from the simple noise. The swing set rested again, unmoving. Kenny identified the familiar metal chains and the old, nearly rusty seats. The poles were stabbed firmly into the ground, hidden underneath the seemingly endless snow. 'This is Stan's...' Kenny labeled it. Kenny longed for someone to be with him at this moment. 'Stan?' Kenny called out into the darkness. 'Stan?!' he called again, a bit louder. 'It's Kenny, your friend! Where are you?!' His voice seemed to blend with rapid gusts of wind.

The snowflakes rapidly flew past Kenny in colors of red, blue, and green. He covered his face with his arms, expecting to be pelted with unforgiving cold. When he didn't feel anything, he opened his eyes to be met with a flurry of snow coming for his face. He blinked at the surprise, but felt no cold snow touch his face. The snowflakes seemingly passed through his head. Kenny looked down and held out his hands. He nearly fainted when he could see the dim snow through his hands. 'I'm see through!'

'Am I dead?' he wondered in amazement. His entire body was transparent, yet he was no longer freezing cold. He felt as if he felt no temperature at all, he was just an aura, or perhaps a feeling. He didn't feel whole, lively, or real. 'Why was I brought here?' Kenny wondered. The snow suddenly ceased its heavy falling, the darkness that was lit up was slowly returning to shadows yet again. A last green snowflake flew towards Kenny. He followed it with his eyes, turning around. He nearly lost his breath when he saw the snowflake fall on the dim image of a boy Kenny thought was long lost.

Sitting on the swing set were Stan and Kyle. Both held the rusty chains of the swings and sat silently in the darkness. They both wore their winter clothes, and their signature hats. Kenny had never been so relieved to see the two of them. 'Kyle?' Kenny asked in disbelief. 'You're back! I've missed y-' He realized that his words fell upon deaf ears, neither of his friends would look up at him. The transparent Jewish boy extended his hand towards Stan, seemingly unknowing of Kenny's presence. Stan reached out and gripped Kyle's hand in a red glove. Their hands entertwined through transparency.

Kenny wasn't sure what to do at this moment. It seemed as if time didn't flow in this world. Whatever seemed little in the real world felt like a lifetime here. Stan and Kyle looked just as they did before Kyle had left for Sweden. Kenny couldn't help but feel as if he wanted to cry at the sight of the two together again. He wasn't sad, but rather happy the two lovers were reunited. 'He made him so happy...' he thought sadly.

His thoughts changed into instant panic as he saw Kyle's dim image slowly fading into the darkness. The dim street lamps blew out from a sudden, strong gust of wind, and the stars blacked out overhead. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny were the only lights left in this dark, empty world. 'Kyle?' Kenny asked in a choked voice. Kyle's aura disspated slowly as sparkles left his body. Seconds later Kyle's dim illustration had faded into the nothingness of the world. Stan held his hand in mid-air, seeming not to notice right away. Kenny watched as Stan clenched his hand a few times in mid-air, feeling for Kyle.

'No!' Kenny thought in a panic. Stan pulled his hand back to the chain and extended his feet, lightly pushing himself upwards from the gorund. He saw Stan look over at the seat next to him, with a look in his eyes Kenny had known for a long time. Stan's eyes shown his feeling of longing for his best friend and lover. Kenny had seen this look many times whenever they were doing things together. Kenny always tried his best to make Stan happy, yet it seemed Stan felt incomplete, no matter what Kenny tried to do. Kenny couldn't imagine just how much Stan had truly loved Kyle.

'I wish Kyle were here to make you happy...' Kenny wished silently. Stan's suffering had pained Kenny's heart. He tried to help Stan as much as he could to truly smile again. Stan would portray a happy expression often, but Kenny noticed whenever he seemed to be enjoying himself, there was a flicker, a deep sense of emotion in his eyes that made Kenny believe he was thinking of Kyle. Kenny had to admit, he missed Kyle himself, too. He closed his eyes and grinned, allowing the thoughts of better days to fill his mind.

Kenny remembered when Kyle had confessed his love for Stan upon him. Kenny had cheered excitedly at his announcement, gleeful that his two friends may turn into more. 'Congratulations!' he had said to Kyle. Kenny remembered Kyle's hopeful look in his eyes when Kenny had repeated how much he supported the two dating each other. It was true, the bond between Stan and Kyle was something that Kenny would never want to broken. Regardless of Kenny's desires to be a part of their lives, he accepted his fate of most likely being the third wheel, and a backup friend of sorts. He would support the two of them however he could, regardless of their love for him.

An image flashed in Kenny's mind of the original gang together. 'Stan...Kyle...Eric...and me.' he recalled. The four boys had all grown up together from the time they were babies. Kenny remembered just how close friends Stan and Kyle were, even in the beginning. Kenny would try to become closer to them, mostly because of Cartman's relentless jokes and insults towards Kenny. While the two had openly accepted his friendship, Kenny never felt he was good enough for either of them. Yet through all of this, he still tried to be the best, loyalist friend he could. It pleased him to think of their happiness as one. Kenny opened his eyes, absorbing the present. He wanted to scream when he saw Stan's deep blue eyes inches from his face. Kenny felt as if the darkest chill had been sent through his mind. He felt as if death was approaching from the shadows.

Stan's eyes made Kenny feel he was seeing directly through him, into the pit of his soul. As he looked into Stan's eyes, he felt a strange sense of longing to be with him, wherever he really was. 'He's not real...' Kenny tried to tell himself. He was worried he was losing his mind. Kenny let out a sharp gasp of air as Stan moved.

Stan reached up pushed his red, mittened hand inside Kenny's hood towards his cheek. Stan pushed back against his hood, trying to slide it off. Kenny's hoodie slipped down past his hair, making his messy blond hair stick out. The fabric of Stan's mitten felt itchy against Kenny's cheek, yet he dared not try to touch it. Kenny's mouth opened slightly, he was at a loss for words. The dark chill Kenny had felt moments ago was being eased by the second by Stan's gentle, warm touch. Kenny felt protected around him, and safe.

'Do you know what's coming?' Stan asked. The raven tilted his head, looking innocent. Kenny shook his head slowly, nervous. 'I'm here to tell you your life is about to change.' Stan mused. 'How is my life going to change?' Kenny asked suddenly. Stan spoke in a tone that sounded neither comfortable nor threatening. 'You are going to discover some deep feelings soon. However you handle these feelings is up to you. You will also discover a secret, one that could put others lives in danger. Depending whether or not you share it with your friends, you could all meet very different fates. The choice to move the storm's winds in a direction of your choosing will be decided by you.'

Stan removed his transparent hand from Kenny's cheek and turned away without another word. The snowflakes began to fall yet again as Stan walked away, all of them were a deep red color, like blood. They passed through Stan and Kenny without effect on either of them. Heavy snow covered Stan from Kenny's sight. 'Stan?' Kenny called after him. 'Wait!' He took a step towards Stan, until he heard a loud clicking sound next to him. His body became ripe with fear.

Kenny twisted his head quickly to be met with metal near his face. He made out the dull metal frame of a small pistol. It was aimed directly between his eyes. Kenny felt as if he had been punched in the stomach. He dropped to the ground on his knees, he couldn't will himself to stand up. He gazed up past the gun, held by a black gloved hand. Above Kenny, a dark shadow stood above him. There were no features of this strange being, only the darkness gave a dark sense of energy to this figure. The snowflakes passed between the gun and Kenny's forehead. Kenny started breathing nervously.

A sudden, unexpected mixture of sadness, anger, and betrayal washed over Kenny. His emotions had seemingly been forced in his mind. 'Do I really feel this way?' Kenny asked in his mind. He felt as if he was about to scream, and go completely mad. 'His death is mine.' a dark voice said. Kenny's mind became alert when he recognized a familiar voice. 'I'm sorry, Kenny.' Kenny's eyes widened. 'That voice...' he raised his head higher to the shadow. He saw the strange eyes of someone he'd never expect to see here. 'It can't be...No...' Kenny heard light sobbing far in the edges of the world. 'Now forget.' The pistol exploded in the darkness. The world went black around Kenny.

'No, dont!' Kenny screamed as he bolted upright in his bed. He sharply inhaled, desperate for air. He panted heavily as his hands grasped his bed sheets near his chest. His body was soaking with sweat. Kenny blinked a few times in the bright afternoon light shining into his room. He gazed around his bedroom, re-assuring himself he was back in the real world. He was on his same old mattress, in the room with the run down walls, cracked windows, and a nasty, faded carpet. 'Just a dream...' he took a heavy breath, trying to stop panting. 'Just a dream...'

He rested a bare hand against his temple. The sticky sweat felt cool against his fingers. 'That was so strange...' Kenny thought. The image of the shadow had chilled him to the bone. 'It's better to forget...' Kenny tried to tell himself. Something about the dream had seemingly changed Kenny's perception of the real world. A strange sense of nervousness enveloped the world Kenny was living in. 'Relax...' he ordered quietly to himself. He let out a deep breath, and jumped at a sudden movement by his knee.

Kenny's phone vibrated rapidly against his bed cover. He normally went to sleep with his phone, and would set it on vibrate in case anyone needed him to wake up. Kenny's screen shown a picture of Stan and himself at a school carnival a year ago. Whenever this image appeared on Kenny's phone screen, he knew Stan was calling him. Kenny debated whether or not he should answer the phone, he felt strangely cautious. Kenny was still fairly alarmed from his dream, and it seemed slightly creepy to him that Stan was calling him now, too.

With a heavy sigh, Kenny forced himself to reach down and pick up the phone in his hands. He hung a thumb over the screen, debating one last time whether or not he should answer. He let out another deep sigh and tapped the accept button, ending the vibration in his hands. He held the phone up to his ear, pausing a moment before speaking. He felt as if he had nearly no energy as he spoke his first word of the day. 'Hello?'

'Hey Ken. It's Stan.' Kenny lowered his eyes to the bed beneath him, partly relieved to hear Stan's voice. 'Hey dude.' Kenny said, trying to sound happy. He kicked his feet out from under the covers and sat up against the side of his bed. 'What's up?' Kenny heard some static on his cell phone, his house usually didn't have good signal. 'We haven't hung out in a few days...' Stan said, pausing a moment to see if Kenny would respond. Kenny remained silent until Stan spoke again.

'I saw they were having some fireworks down at the beach later tonight...I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go?' Stan offered. Kenny thought he may have heard Stan pause a moment between his words, as if wishing to say more. Kenny checked the digital clock next to him. It didn't surprise him to see the red letters illuminate '5:38 PM.' through his alarm clock screen, cracked in a few places. He had stayed up late last night, and slept through most of the day. Kenny considered the idea of hanging out with Stan. He needed some reality, and some time with Stan would do him some good.

'Sure, I'll go.' He decided. Do you want me to meet you there or...?' Kenny trailed off. Stan thought for a moment. 'Come over to my place tonight around seven, the fireworks start an hour later.' Kenny glanced out the window, wishing the sun was setting already. 'I'll see you there.' Kenny said, hanging up the phone. He ran his fingers through his blond hair. 'Kay...I have to get ready.' he told himself.

He hopped out of bed and walked into his bathroom in his pajama pants and sleeveless gray shirt. He turned on the creaky, rusted faucet on. It poured out cold, dark gray water. Kenny placed both of his hands on the counter and looked into the broken mirror in front of him. His reflection was parted from the long cracks running down it in multiple places. Kenny's blue eyes looked tired, and perhaps a bit frightened. A strange feeling of premonition washed over Kenny. He felt as if the world would end any second. As the seconds ticked by, Kenny very slowly became calmer when nothing bad had happened.

'No...it was just a dream, relax.' he bartered with himself. He splashed some of the cool water in his face, holding his breath between splashes. The water refreshed his face, it made him more awake, too. He pinched his shirt and pulled it up to his nose. A dirty odor filled his nostrils. 'I need to get in something else...' He dashed back out into his room and walked over to his closet door, tilted unevenly against the floor. He slid it open to view all but two empty coathangers. His orange parka and orange pants hung next to each other. 'Guess I'll wear this.' he said.

Kenny loved the feeling of the cool water running down his body in the shower. Its rhythmic patterns eased his worry. 'Have a good time tonight...you're going to be close to Stan again.' he told himself. Minutes later he turned the shower faucet off and stepped out onto the dirty tile floor. He had laid his clothes across the toilet lid next to him. Kenny rubbed a small towel along his body quickly, eager to leave. He worked his way into his clothes and stepped back out into his bedroom. He was hit with surprise as he eyed his alarm clock. The red letters read '7:23 P.M.' Kenny gasped. 'Oh no!' he said out loud, clapping his hands against his face.

'I need to move!' he said worriedly. He hurried himself across his bedroom, his wet hair cooled his scalp. Drips ran off the ends of his hair and fell against his carpet as he dashed for his bed. He grabbed his phone and darted out his bedroom door and into the small hallway that lead to the front door. He saw Stuart and Carol in the living room as he reached the small living room. They were watching staticy T.V. together. Kenny reached the front door and began struggling to put on his shoes. Stuart cranked his head over at Kenny, he held a beer in his lap. 'Goin' somewhere?' his father asked, seemingly a bit drunk. 'I'm late for a date with Stan.' Kenny's face turned bright red at his response. 'A date?!' he thought, embarassed. He quickly added to his words. 'Well, see you all tonight!' He threw open the front door and stepped outside quickly, slamming it behind him. He leaned against the front door and let out a loud sigh of relief.

'Phew...' he thought under the now orange sky. Kenny couldn't believe he just called a hang out with Stan a 'date...,' and in front of his parents, too! This was the only time Kenny was actually thankful that his parents were both common drinkers. Hopefully they wouldn't mention it to Kenny if they did remember. Kenny dashed down the uneven driveway and onto the cracked, broken sidewalk. He eyed the middle-class homes of South Park farther down the road. 'It should be about five mintues if I run...' he thought.

His orange hood bounced against the back of his head as he ran along. He panted from the effort. 'I can't believe this...I'm late!' Kenny had never been late on a meet with Stan before. 'I hope he doesn't get mad.' Kenny hoped Stan wouldn't be overly angry at his tardiness.

Within minutes he turned down the final street, eying Stan's dark green house far in the distance. 'Almost there!' he thought desperately. The wind from running had dried his hair, which stuck out slightly in a few places. Moments later Kenny dashed up Stan's driveway. He sprinted up the pathway and hopped up his front steps. He rasped on the door quickly. He panted heavily as sweat rolled down his face. he tried to listen carefully for Stan. After a moment of silence, he heard Stan's dog, Sparky, barking at the noise.

Inside, he heard light footsteps. 'Sparky, quiet!' he heard Stan raise his voice at his pet. 'Just a minute!' Stan called. Sparky continued barking for a moment. The dogs noise became more distant moments later. Kenny assumed Stan was putting him in his kennel for the night. A moment later Kenny heard quick footsteps approaching the door. Anticipation was worrying him greatly as the metal lock undid itself and Stan opened his door. Kenny thought his black locks seemed perfectly smooth and straight tonight. His blue eyes gave Kenny a warm look, and his smile offered suppressed emotion. 'Come on in.' he said cheerfully. Kenny stepped through the doorway and into Stan's home. Stan shut the door behind him. When Stan turned around, Kenny met his gaze. 'I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to be late.' Kenny apologized sincerely.

'It's cool.' Stan said evenly. 'I have to do a few things anyway. You can have a seat on the couch and watch some T.V. if you want.' he offered. Kenny nodded back to Stan in understanding, relieved he wasn't angered from his mistake. 'Thanks.' Kenny said as he walked over to the couch. He collapsed onto the soft cushion and picked up the T.V. remote. Kenny heard Stan's heavy footsteps thump up the stairs to his room. Kenny couldn't find anything that appealed to him airing on television. He flipped through the channels, desperate to find something he enjoyed. His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden noise.

The wind blew strongly outside, making the windows seem as if they were about to give in. Kenny heard the lightest creaking sound outside, his head darted over. He peered through Stan's kitchen with widened eyes. Through Stan's glass slider door, he could make out Stan's swingset from his childhood, still in the backyard. A swing seat lightly from the wind. Kenny recalled seeing Stan, hearing strong winds, and a creaking sound in his dream. Today was truly ominous. Kenny was feeling very strange, almost as if he was lightly being choked from some invisible force.

Something about the swingset attracted him just as his dream had done. Kenny stood up, staring at the seat that had moved from the wind. He padded lightly through Stan's dining room and into the kitchen. He reached the slider door, and tilted his head to view the outside from different angles, checking the premises. Kenny put his hand on the door, and slid it open quickly, then shut it behind him once he stepped outside.

The chains screeched loudly and the swing seat swung again without any gust of wind. Kenny felt chills rise up his spine at the sight. He approached it, curious. The seat soon returned to being still once more. Kenny felt nervous with anticipation it would happen again. He walked cautiously around the old swing set, observing its features caefully. The metal chains and poles had worn slightly. The shiny chrome had faded into a slightly darker gray. Kenny walked around the back of the swing set, and froze when he eyed a strange image on the back of a pole, firmly planted in the ground.

Small white strokes had been carved into the metal pole. Kenny squinted his eyes to read it, annoyed by the setting sun's orange rays glaring against it. Kenny tilted his head at an angle, and finally read what was placed in the middle of the heart. 'Style...' Kenny sounded out the word slowly. He thought about how Stan and Kyle must have written this together. 'Stan and Kyle...' the realization clicked as he said their names. 'Oh, I get it! Style!' he figured.

He stared at the word etched into the heart. 'They both must have written this.' he guessed. An odd sense of nostalgia washed over him as he thought about the three of them being together...him, Stan, and Kyle...Seeing something that Stan and Kyle had touched made him warm inside. Kenny missed Kyle himself, he wondered if he'd ever return. Kenny raised a bare hand towards the heart. He held his palm flat, inches away from the heart. Another gust of wind picked up, rattling the trees. A few leaves flew off a nearby tree. A single green leaf flew past Kenny's nose. Kenny couldn't bring himself to touch the heart.

'Kenny?' he heard Stan call from inside the house. Kenny jumped at his name being mentioned. He looked at the heart one last time. He lowered his hand and dashed for the slider door. He pushed it open and stepped into Stan's kitchen. Kenny saw Stan with his back towards him after he stepped in. Stan looked around the living room for a moment, then turned quickly. His eyes snapped onto Kenny. Stan looked at him a bit questioningly. 'Sorry...' Kenny said. 'I got thirsty and wanted some water...I'm fine now, though.' Stan nodded, accepting Kenny's lie. 'So are you ready?' Stan asked, raising an eyebrow in excitement. Kenny was relieved when he saw Stan give a light grin.

'Yeah...let's go!' Kenny dashed up to Stan and threw an arm around his back. Stan stumbled as Kenny nudged him along towards the door. 'Damn it...Kenny.' Stan said in playful annoyance. Kenny removed his arm and opened the door himself. Kenny stepped out the door, Stan slid it shut behind him, then looked down at Kenny with a plain face. 'Race you!' Stan dashed past Kenny to the sidewalk. 'Hey, no fair!' Kenny called after him, breaking into a run minutes later.

The two dashed down the driveway and onto the sidewalk. They broke into a run as they headed for the event. Kenny laughed along the way, he noticed Stan gave a smile that told Kenny he wanted to enjoy running, but he missed not having Kyle with him. Kenny thought about Kyle until they arrived at the beach several minutes later. The beach park was crowded with several of South Park's residents. Some adults were barbequeing on the parks grills, ready for wonderful experience the night would bring. Stan nudged Kenny on the shoulder. 'Let's go to our usual place.' he said. 'Right.' Kenny replied.

The two travelled slowly down the beaches sandy shore together, towards their 'secret' location at the U-shaped gorge. The sun lit up the sky with a dark orange color as its last few minutes of light slowly ticked by. Kenny enjoyed being alone with Stan like this. He had never hung out with Stan one on one until Kyle had left. Kenny thought it was interesting how Kyle's absence has strengthened the bond between Stan and himself. 'I like going for walks like these...' Stan said randomly. 'It's nice and peaceful, no one to bother you...' Kenny nodded in agreement. 'Y-Yeah.' he stuttered. 'I like to go for walks too...' The blond stared down at the sand, feeling a bit awkward.

'I remember when Kyle and I would walk together...' Stan's deep blue eyes tried to hide his emotions. Kenny felt a stab in his heart. He felt very sorry for Stan. 'Sometimes I feel like he wasn't even here...' Stan blurted. Stan stopped his tracks and stared at the sand, sullen. Stan clenched his fists and took a deep breath. He looked at Kenny with tired eyes and shook his head in apology. 'Sorry, Ken...' Stan said, his voice quiet. 'Don't worry about it...' Kenny said, trying not to prompt further discussion.

Stan silently picked up his tracks again, Kenny followed him. Kenny hated the fact that he couldn't change the way Stan had felt when he was around him. He wanted to see Stan happy, and really smiling. Kenny wondered how he felt about Kyle now. He wondered if Stan would every actually 'break up' from dating Kyle. The two hadn't established an official relationship, Stan told Kenny once, soon after Kyle had left. Though Kenny wondered if Stan still held the romantic feelings he once had for his best friend. Kenny believed he did, and he envied Stan's loyalty to loving Kyle. At the same time, the thought of Stan suffering from Kyle's absence ate at him. He couldn't help but want to tell Stan to just be happy on his own, to live in the present and find love to surround himself with. Kenny wanted to see Stan happy, but never felt as if his efforts would suffice.

The two reached the seemingly dead end of the beach. The sand wrapped around high rock walls. The two boys approached the rock situated at the far end of the U-Shaped gorge. A big orange towel was laying just in front of the rock against the warm sand. Stan and Kenny leaned against the rock nearly a minute later. The rock felt warm through Kenny's orange parka. His blond hair contrasted brightly in the sunlight. Twilight began to set, and the sky slowly began to darken.

After what seemed like ages, a loud whistling sound was heard soaring through the air. A firework blazed up into the sky. It exploded into colorful pink sparkles that turned purple before for a few moments before fading away. Kenny and Stan stared at the fireworks together. Kenny thought they were beautiful. The night was gorgeous as the colors lit up the sky. Kenny looked over at Stan, who was giving that somewhat fake smile of his. He wondered if he was thinking of Kyle yet again.

'I'm sure he wishes Kyle was here right now...' Kenny thought, perhaps a bit sadly. Kenny wasn't sure why, but he felt as if he was becoming severly depressed. 'Hormones...' he thought distastefully. Kenny gripped a handful of sand next to him, then let it slide between his fingers. He repeated the gesture many times as the fireworks exploded.

'Wow!' Stan said as a large green firework burst in the sky. Kenny grinned a bit. 'Good.' Kenny thought. 'He's having a good time with me.' Kenny was anxious to see Stan's reaction to the finale.

Finally an enormous barage of fireworks boomed across the sky. All shapes, colors, and designs exploded among the starry sky. It was an amazing sight. Kenny looked over at Stan, multiple colors flashed across his face as he gazed longingly at the fireworks. Kenny swallowed and creeped his fingers over to Stan's hand, rested against the space on the towel between them. Kenny tried to encourage himself to touch his hand. He extended a finger, Stan moved next to him. His face turned beat red as Stan's arm collided with his fingers. Kenny looked away nervously and back at the fireworks.

Stan turned to Kenny and looked him in the eyes. Kenny tried to ignore him, but when Stan continued staring at him, he forced himself to look over at him. 'You miss him...don't you?' Kenny wondered as he looked into his eyes. The bright colors of the fireworks reflected in Stan's eyes. Kenny felt a strange sense of connection with Stan as the two of them shared the moment together. Their eyes danced with emotions as they stared at each other, as if trying to figure the other out.

Kenny's mind flashed with images from his dream. The dark shadow in his dream haunted his mind, reminding him of his nervousness. He had recognized the shadow's familiar voice, and didn't want to think about who it was that pulled the trigger on him. Stan returned his gaze to the fireworks in front of him, Kenny did the same. He shook his head slowly against the rock and closed his eyes, Stan didn't seem to notice. 'You know what...' Kenny told himself. 'I need to stop making others happy...Maybe I should...'

Kenny creeped his fingers across the towel to try to grab Stan's hand once again. 'Do it.' Kenny lightly rested his hand on top of Stan's. Stan looked over and down at his hand, then his gaze raised to meet Kenny's eyes. Kenny looked away, bashful.

Stan flipped his hand over, and interlocked his fingers with Kenny.


	22. CT: Numb and Broken

_**Author's Note:** Phew! I was up all night typing this out. This sets the record as the second longest chapter yet (5.3k words). Readers, I'm pleased to say you are soon going to be very rewarded from your patience. Things are about to get absolutely awesome and incredible. Thanks so much to my dedicated readers/favs/followers/reviewers. Anything you do, from a simple view to a lengthy review gives me encouragement to continue the story. As my very first FanFiction, I promised myself I would see this story all the way through to the end. I've thought up an absolutely great plot for the next arc. Get excited, it's going to get even better than the others! As we're about to enter the meat n' taters of the story, please, **review, review, review!**  
_

_In celebration of my FanFiction entering an exciting point in the story, I wanted to make this development time special for both me and readers. I'm going to give a unique shout out with each new chapter posted up until the end of this arc. Just because I love my dedicated readers to pieces!_

**AUTHOR SHOUT OUT TO...**

**Hej! Swedish viewers! :) My views from Sweden have gone up dramatically since I first mentioned Sweden (I think back in CHP 6!). I'm in the process of learning Swedish. I really would love to visit your country someday! Thank you for your dedicated viewing!**

_Enjoy!_

Chapter 22 – Numb and Broken

**POV: **Craig Tucker

'Numb. That's all I feel.'

Craig Tucker's eyes were fixed on his image, reflecting back at him from the bathroom mirror. He lifted his shirt off slowly then tossed it down at his feet. The thin fabric draped softly over his shoes. Craig's eyes darted between the multiple bruises and scratches among his upper body. He used a gentle hand to reach toward the bruises one at a time He pressed against each of them lightly. Craig felt nothing from pressing his wounds.

'I'm alone. Broken. And exhausted.' Craig's mentality was quickly going south, he could tell. Craig wished he wasn't in such a difficult situation. 'How long can I hold on?' he wondered, trying not to let his mind worry too much. He closed his eyes tightly, trying to take a moment to regain himself. Craig had seemed unwanted by anyone and everyone recently, much to his confusion. He wondered if maybe he was the troublemaker others had labeled him as.

A rumble of thunder clapped over his head. The loud noise slightly shook the house. Craig heard large raindrops above him. They were slapping against the rooftop above n rhythmic patterns. The sounds helped Craig to relax. He sighed heavily. Even though he usually enjoyed weather like this, the rain seemingly added to his sanity being drained. It depressed him when he was down and it would rain. Craig always wondered if anyone else felt the way he did. 'I wonder if Wendy is watching the rain...' Craig wondered sadly. He bent down to grab his shirt. He slipped it back over his upper body, and lightly combed his hair wit his fingers. He stepped back into his bedroom. Raindrops raced down his glass window. Craig walked over to the window and looked out into the dark night. He couldn't see much, so he opened the glass window and bent down to rest his arms against the base of it. The rain was forming crisp, moist air. The cool breeze flew into Craig's bedroom, lightly chilling him. 'So beautiful...yet so sad sometimes...' Craig thought, not feeling much emotion.

'It's strange, it's been raining so much lately.' Craig noticed the weather had seemed a bit stranger lately. He was thankful his parents had been away, he enjoyed the nature by himself, without them. Criaig was usually home all the time by himself. It had been a week now since his tragic breakup with Wendy. He didn't want to see anyone else while he was trying to heal himself. Craig just wanted to suffer alone, so that he could feel he wasn't an annoying burden on others. His heart seemed to beat slower now, as if he was becoming weaker from all the heartache. 'I feel like I'm dying...' Craig thought sadly. His heart did ache, in ways he was sure many other people couldn't imagine. His hearts seemingly slow pulse skipped a beat when Craig heard gravel crunching outside. He extended his head out the window and peered around the side of his house. Dim car lights were hidden behind a wall, but reflected across Craig's yard. 'He's home.'

'No...' Craig thought fearfully. 'Oh God no...' The car door outside shut with a light thump. Every step was a countdown to further pain. 'The keys.' Craig thought systematically. Sure enough, the sound of jingling keys were heard pressing into the front door. 'The door opens...' Craig shut his eyes tightly. His prediction had been correct. He heard the door swing open downstairs. 'Heavy footsteps...' The heavy boots thumped along the bottom floor of the house. Craig prayed he wouldn't hear the heavy boots walking up the steps towards his bedroom.

Craig gazed out at the rain, trying to tune the noise out. 'Sometimes I just want to be free...' he thought longingly. There was a stiff pause as Craig considered a new idea. 'I'll run through the rain, on my own.' He wanted to do something to express himself, and be free for once. He wanted to laugh, enjoy himself, and be happy. Perhaps he needed a night all by himself, to be a bit crazy, whatever made him happier. 'That's what I'll do.' Craig decided. He swung his legs up on top of the windowsill. His jeans were slowly pattered by the rain as he tried to wiggle outwards.

Craig kept his grip on the window sill as he slowly lowered himself in the air. He swung an arm around the front of his chest to switch his grip. He faced his bedroom one more time before slowly lowering as far as he could go with his arms. There was a big drop beneath him, but Craig felt sure he'd be fine. The rain smacked against his face as he hung there momentarily. With a deep breath of good luck to himself, he released his hands, and fell towards the ground.

He landed with a huff of impact. Craig felt like his knees had nearly shattered from the hard landing. 'I'm OK.' Craig thought. 'I'm OK...' Craig ran out in front of his house as fast as he could and ran down the rainy streets. The rain pelted unforgivably against his face as he ran away from home. His clothes were becoming darker from the water absorption. But even though he was soaked, tired, aching, yet hiding a deep pain, he promised himself he'd have a good time tonight, with or without Wendy.

Craig's breath became more rapid from the physical exercise. 'I'll go anywhere, as long as it's away from everything else.' The running had helped Craig focus more on his exhaustion. He needed the distraction for a little while. He wanted to do anything to numb the pain as much as he could. His waking life had been a living hell for him lately. Abusive parents, a disgusting break up, and hating your parents, yet sometimes wanting to see justice done to them, wasn't an easy burden for Craig to carry. He had wanted to tell Wendy the truth about his abusive past, but he worried what attention that would bring to his family. While everyone in Craig's life all had their obvious problems, Craig still felt a hesitation in his heart to do anything against the ones he still cared for, even now.

Craig's running led him towards the familiar summer hot spot: the beach. Rain pelted unforgivably against the empty playground. The sand was becoming harder along the beaches shore., Heavy raindrops dripped on top of the dark night waters of the lake, sending smaller drops upwards into the air. Craig was grateful that he had arrived here, it was a neutral, peaceful place to rest his mind. He eyed a small, yellow, plastic hut situated on top of the play equipment. It was a small shadow on top of the spiral slide, the moonlight did little to illuminate it. 'Shelter from the rain.' Craig thought. He just wanted to sit alone and watch the rain fall around him. The weather was therapeutic in its own way, Craig just had to change his perception of things for it to work.

Craig brushed through the grass, his shoes made squishing sounds as he walked. He was soaked everywhere. The cold wetness made him feel more alive. 'It feels so good to be free for awhile.' Craig wanted to have a night where he could just be himself without the judgement of others. 'And nothing is going to hold me back.' he was determined to be happy again. Craig stepped up onto the steps leading to the small hut above the spiral slide. He ascended the stairs and twisted around a curved staircase towards the shelter. He froze when he arrived at the top of the stairs.

Inside the small entryway Tweek was sitting against the plastic interior with his arms crossed. He was wearing his usual, unevenly button long-sleeved green shirt. Tweek watched the rain fall, he looked bored, as far as Craig could guess. Tweek reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plastic bag. Craig tried to see what was inside of it. Before he could identify its contents, Tweek suddenly darted his gaze up to Craig's eyes. He quickly stuffed the bag back inside his pocket. 'Agh!' he said in a nervous panic. Tweek started to adjust his legs preparing to get up. 'No,no.' Craig said calmly, raising his arms to get Tweek's attention. 'Relax, I'm not trying to cause any trouble.'

Tweek raised an eyebrow to Craig. His eye twitched lightly. 'As long as you say you saw nothing...' Tweek hinted, his neck spasmed for a moment. 'Why don't you come out of the rain?' Tweek offered. He scootched to the farther end of the plastic hut, and tapped a hand on the floor next to him. 'Sit, please.' he offered. Craig hesitated, but allowed himself to walk inside and sit on the floor across from Tweek. The situation had been a bit awkward, Craig decided to break the ice. 'So what was that you had?' Craig questioned.

'Damn.' Tweek said nervously. 'I wish you hadn't seen that.' Craig watched Tweek's nervous eyes flick around him. His eye twitched nervously from his self-consciousness. Craig had to stifle a small giggle. Tweek was always so funny when he got that way. Tweek fixed his eyes on Craig, and his eyes portrayed he was uneasy about something. His jaw dropped suddenly. 'Craig...what happened to your eye?' Craig became stiff when he remembered the painful blow from his father. 'Oh no...' Craig thought. He had applied some makeup earlier today to try to cover his bruises. He had thought his injuries looked well healed now. Though the makeup DID make a big difference. The rain must have washed off his makeup, making his wounds more noticeable. 'I fell.' Craig lied. 'I fell against the table, I'm pretty clumsy.' he gave a light, fake chuckle. His cheek started tingling slightly.

Craig's eyes stared down at his wet hands. The situation was slightly awkward. He twiddled him thumbs in silence for a few moments. 'You ever done drugs?' Tweek asked flatly. Craig looked up at him and shook his head. 'Never.' Tweek grinned a bit. 'I'm guessing you're having a hard time if you're out like this, man. Here, I'll show you something really cool...' Tweek reached back into his jeans pocket and pulled out the plastic bag he had earlier. Tweek extended his arm towards Craig. 'Here, take a look, but be careful.'

Craig received the transparent bag in his hands and examined its contents carefully. Inside he could see a few syringes, a spoon, a lighter, and a few white seeds. 'Heroin.' Craig identified the drug. Craig had always heard drugs were bad, it was something Mr. Mackey had repeated several times at school. Craig silently extended his arm back to Tweek. Tweek reclaimed the bag. 'Ever see that before?' Craig shook his head. 'I haven't.'

'Have you ever had a really good dream that had to be cut off because someone disturbed your sleep...?' Tweek mused. 'Yeah, sometimes.' Craig said monotonously. Craig recalled a few dreams he had experienced about Wendy, but tried to cast his thoughts aside for the time being. 'Imagine being able to stay and live out that dream all the way to the end.' Tweek explained, a bit excited. 'This stuff takes you on an adventure. It changes the way you think, and it relaxes you so much, too!'

Craig crossed his arms over his chest. 'If you're suggesting I'm trying drugs, Tweek, forget it. Not interested.' Tweek pulled open his bag. 'Suit yourself.' Tweek put the spoon in his mouth and set the bag aside for a moment. He lifted his lower body upwards slightly. Tweek used both of his hands to fiddle with his belt. Tweek pulled it out from his belt loops and held it in one hand. He extended a finger to lift up his right arm's shirt sleeve. He flipped his arm over, his wrist faced upwards. Craig saw several small red spots littering his arms. He worked the leather belt around his arm, and tried to tighten it was tight as he could.

'Dude...' Craig said. 'Why would you do that to yourself?' Craig asked. Tweek lifted the spoon out of his mouth and set it against his lap as he ruffled through the bag. 'Well, I always have a problem with nervousness. Sometimes I get really self-conscious, and that makes me feel afraid. Taking heroin is like briefly forgetting all my worries and having a good time to myself. I don't know why you're here Craig, but I'm guessing you're in pain too. It affects everyone differently...maybe it could help you, though...Well enough of my babbling, you don't have to stay for this if you don't want to.'

Tweek set a small white seed on the metal spoon and lit the clear lighter underneath it. Craig watched as the seed slowly began to bubbl. Tweek raised the syringe and pierced the seed. Tweek moved tsuction upwards, slowly extracting the euphoric liquid. Craig was shaking slightly, his body felt a bit cold. Tweek set the spoon down next to him and checked his belt, still tightly wrapped around his arm. He put the end of the leather strip in his mouth and pointed the syringe towards his arm vein. He held the clear syringe above his skin nervously. His eyes met Craig after a short pause. Craig darted his gaze away from awkward embarrassment.

Tweek let the leather strap fall back into his lap. He tapped the side of the needle against his arm. 'You can go if you want to, Craig.' Tweek hinted he wanted Craig to leave him alone. Craig didn't want to be cast aside yet again. Tweek sighed when Craig didn't budge. 'OK, be honest now...are you out running through the rain because you're in pain in some way?' Tweek probed. Craig slowly shook his head yes. 'I knew it...' Tweek confirmed. 'I'll tell you what. You came all the way out here, and I doubt you do this all the time, because I'm usually here at night, and have never seen you here before. Why don't you allow yourself to have a little bit of fun, just for one night? This stuff really takes the edge off...Give it a shot, I'm sure you'd like it.'

Craig stared anxiously at the syringe, full of liquid. 'What's it like?' he asked wondrously. Craig was in disbelief with himself he had just asked a drug addict what a drug was like. 'You feel a cold chill at first.' Tweek explained calmly. 'But after a few seconds it's like you soak into a warm, fuzzy world. Euphoria takes over and the world seems like a great place. It's a great way to forget all your worries. I'll tell you what, I'll inject you if you want. That way you can make sure you enjoy it your first time.'

Craig bit his bottom lip in deep thought. He didn't want to go back home through the rain, yet Tweek was offering him some unexpected company. He even offered to give him something he claimed could make him feel better. 'Just for a night.' Tweek's words repeated in Craig's mind. 'I don't know...' Craig said slowly. Tweek giggled and tapped a foot against Craig's shoe. 'Come on, have some fun. Your monotone voice kills me.' Craig remembered someone saying something like that to him before...

'You know what...' Craig shut his eyes tightly. Every reason battled with him rapidly to make a decision. 'It's just for the night...' Craig focused on only the encouraging thoughts. 'It's raining...I'm sure I can enjoy the rain even more, if what Tweek says is true.' Craig let out a deep breath and looked at Tweek. 'I'll do it, I'm ready.' Tweek grinned at his response. 'Right on.' He set the syringe down and loosened his belt around his arm.

'Which arm do you want?' Tweek asked as he undid the belt. Craig lifted up a dark blue sleeve up along his left arm. He flipped his arm over so that his palm faced upwards. He made a fist in nervous preparation of the experience. Tweek scrambled over to Craig. He stood up on his knees for a moment and wrapped the belt around Craig's arm tightly. Tweek reached for the syringe behind him. He held it up for a minute to inspect it. With a flick of a finger, a small bit of the liquid squirted out from the needle. Tweek gripped Craig's wrist with his free hand and lowered the needle slowly, resting above his vein.

Tweek looked over at him once more. 'Now listen, if you have anything you'd be worried about tomorrow, now is the time to back out.' he warned. 'Craig, are you SURE you want to do this?' The rain slammed against the huts roof and lighting flashed in the distance. Craig was tired of having to make others happy, he felt it was time he made his own choices. 'Do it...' Craig ordered. Craig sat up straight and tilted his head against the back wall. He shut his eyes tightly, not wanting to see the needle anymore. 'Just tell me when...' Tweek slightly adjusted his grip on Craig's wrist. 'Alright...'

Tweek fumbled with the belt one more time, ensuring it was tight enough. 'On three.' Tweek instructed. 'You're going to feel a small poke, and then a chill for a few seconds, but right after that is when it starts. Trust me, it's a good feeling.' Craig stayed silent and tapped his fingers of his free hand against his jeans, acknowledging Tweek. Tweek gripped his wrist a bit tighter, and pushed against towards him slightly, trying to keep him still. 'Alright, on three. One...'

Craig took a deep, nervous breath. The anticipation was making his heart race. He knew that if he really wanted to back out now, this was the time to do so. 'I'll let it happen...' Craig decided. 'Two...' Tweek said. 'Here it comes...' Craig braced himself. Hopefully this would treat his chronic stress. 'Three.' Craig felt a dull pinch on his arm. It didn't seem to hurt as bad as he had expected. 'Pushing it in.' Tweek narrated.

An icy, cold chill shot up through Craig's arm. Craig let out an uncomfortable breath. 'That's the chill.' Tweek explained. Craig's mind and body instantly changed moments later. His chemicals in his brain took over and gave him a strong euphoric buzz. Craig was so relaxed he tilted over sideways. Tweek held him gently. Craig barely heard the metal sounds of the belt being undone from his arm. Tweek plucked off Craig's wet hat and set it on the ground, and slowly lowered his cheek onto it. Craig felt amazed at just how good he really felt. He didn't regret his decision at all.

His body felt as if it was floating. He stared out into the rain, his vision slowly became blurry. Shapes and patterns would appear and dissapear without notice. The rain drops seemed a strange shape tonight. Craig thought about how it had rained the very moment Wendy had left him. 'I don't need her.' he tried to tell himself. The drug had numbed his thoughts in a way that made him feel completely safe lying next to Tweek. 'Screw them all.' Craig thought bitterly. 'This is my time to relax, not theirs.'

'Mom...dad...sister...' he listed off slowly. The image of Wendy flashed in his mind for a moment. He pictured her long black hair fly through the air as she turned around to give him a warm smile. 'Hey Craig.' his thoughts matched her voice perfectly. 'Go away now.' Craig thought. Just as if his mind was a powerful thing, the image left his mind. A weird tingling sensation overtook his body. He closed his eyes, soaking into the euphoria, glad to be away from everything.

Craig heard a distant rumble in the sky. Another rumble sounded, but sounded slightly different. A rumbling motor was slowly approaching near where Craig and Tweek were situated. The rumble of what sounded like a motorcycle vibrated against the thin plastic of the hut. Craig wondered if he was having auditory hallucinations. After the sound of a sudden thunder clap had passed, the rumble of the motorcycle changed into a loud, noisy revving. Craig heard creaking sound of metal. The rumbling had ceased, returning the night to silence once more. Craig suddenly heard the sound of heavy footsteps similar to what he had feared at home. 'He can't get me here...' Craig told himself. He didn't even notice his thoughts were so fixated on his euphoria. He felt nothing would affect him here.

Craig heard heavy feet slap against the mud outside. 'Go away.' Craig didn't want to see his father now. Tweek stopped fidgeting with his belt as he heard light footsteps ascending the metal steps. Tweek appeared to look around nervously. Craig saw a blurred image of white and blond in front of him. He thought he saw Tweek's eyes fill with absolute horror for a moment.

Craig's squinted his eyes, trying to clear his vision. He peered through his eyelashes at a dark figure standing just outside the entryway to the hut. Tweek hid his bag behind him and let out a surprised gasp. 'C-can I help you with something?' he asked nervously. The figure was dressed completely in black. Their presence felt evil. Craig felt it would be best to pretend he was asleep. The dark person stepped into the hut and gazed down at Craig. Craig saw a blurry, dark helmet glare above him. The stranger flicked their head towards Tweek. An unfamiliar, deep, dark voice spoke to Tweek. 'Where is Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman?'

Tweek shook his head. 'Look man, I don't know what you're talking about.' Craig wondered why Tweek was lying. 'You go to the South Park school, right?' a gruff voice asked. Tweek nodded his head yes. 'I remember you.' the mysterious person said. 'You sure have grown, but into a drug addict of all things...I expected better of you Tweek.' Tweek let out a nervous huff. His neck twitched slightly. Craig could feel him becoming self-conscious. 'Be careful.' Craig wished him safety.

'Look man.' Tweak squeaked out. 'I jus-' The figure lunged forward and pushed Tweek up against the plastic wall. Craig saw the figure move in blurry, unfocused movements. Craig saw something shiny stick out. The person bent their right arm and pushed it against Tweek's neck, pinning him to the wall. His other hand held a shiny silver piece of metal. He reached it towards Tweek's throat. Craig's heart began racing at the sight of Tweek in danger. 'Don't!' Craig wanted to shout.

'I'll ask you one more time.' The figure said orderly. 'Where are Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman? Tell me, or I'll give you more pain you could imagine.' Tweek let out a nervous squeak and patted the big arms of his assailant, gesturing to release him. The figure unpinned Tweek, who cupped his hands around his neck. Tweek gasped for air. He extended a hand to the attacker, and lifted up his index finger to signal he needed a moment. 'OK...' he started after he caught his breath.

'I don't know their exact addresses.' Tweek said carefully. The figure tossed the knife into the air. The sharp metal flipped in the air and fell back into the strangers gloved hand, just as it had been a moment ago. Tweek stared at it, scared. Craig could feel Tweek's fear increasing. 'G-Go all around South Park, I've seen them a few times this summer.' Tweek admitted. 'Why are you after them? Can you at least tell me that?' Tweek asked, curious.

'I owe them a favor.' the male voice sounded. The figure turned away from Tweek. 'If I see you again, you better know where they are next time. Keep an eye out.' Tweek was shaking in fear now. His lips shook with fear, and he tried his best to stifle his rapid breathing. W-Who are you?' Tweek asked nervously. Craig watched the figure step out into the rain. He felt as if he was paralyzed, trapped against the floor.

The figure squeezed their gloved hands, the leather squeaked lightly. 'A ghost from the past.' they said carefully. Craig's eyes watched the blurry shadow slowly descend the stairs. The light rumbling of thunder sounded a moment later. Craig heard the motorcycle motor come to life once more. The rider revved it loudly, Tweek jumped and covered his ears. The noise blasted for a few more moments before eventually vanishing into the distance. As soon as the noise was out of earshot, Tweek began moving quickly. 'Craig.' Tweek leaned forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. 'I'm sorry, I can't do this here. Not after that. Get home as soon as you feel better.' Tweek patted him on the shoulder. 'And stay safe.'

Tweek's footsteps echoed in front of Craig's face. Craig felt fearful as he watched Tweek leave his company and dash out into the stormy night. The rider had scared Tweek badly, Craig wondered how he would feel if he was sober. The rain continued to fall outside. The soft patter was a peaceful lullaby for Craig. 'Forget about everything...' he comforted himself at the thought. 'Everything...' Wendy flashed once more in his mind. 'Everything...'

Craig laid by himself, broken and alone.

**…**

**Elsewhere...**

A black haired boy sat inside a dimly lit office room. His feet were extended up on top of a desk as he leaned back in his flexible leather chair. A candle situated at the far end of the desk was flickering against his dark suit coat and white dress shirt underneath. White blinds hid the interior of the office from prying eyes outside. Cabinets were lined up against the wall, full of expensive books and antiques. A knock rasped on the door. 'Come in.' The boy ordered.

The door to the office opened very slightly. A slightly skinny brown haired boy squeezed between the door and the wall. 'We have someone who wishes to see y-' His words were cut off by a sudden, ominous silence. The boy at the desk saw his body collapse to the floor. He groaned in pain as red stained the carpet beneath him. 'What is this?' The boy lifted his feet off the counter in a panic. He pulled out his desk drawer forcefully, eyeing a small black pistol inside. He pulled it out and aimed it at the slightly closed wooden door. A shiny blade was sticking out the side of the door, covered in red blood. The scarlet gathered at the end of the blade. Small drops of blood dripped against the carpet 'Come out!' the boy called angrily.

The raven haired boy felt a hard kick against the back of his knee. He collapsed onto a knee. Gloved hands restrained his movement and slapped the gun out of his hand. It slid far across the carpeted floor of his office, well out of his reach. A force twisted him around, he tripped over himself and fell onto his back against the floor. A dark figure in a helmet stood above him. It reached down and gripped his shirt collar. The darkly dressed stranger heaved him up off the ground. The raven boy barley saw the glimmer of dark eyes underneath the helmet visor

'Let me...go.' the boy kicked his feet beneath him, struggling to escape the grasp of his captor. 'No funny business.' The figure lightly lowered the struggling boy back onto the floor. The boy planted his feet firmly against the carpet. He was grateful his life hadn't ended there. He was sure death was going to be with him moments ago. He took a few breaths and gazed at the figure. 'Who are you, and what are you doing here?' The figure reached into their black leather coat. 'You're a man of knowledge. There are four boys in this town. One is named Stan Marsh, he wears a red poof ball hat...'

'The others are Kyle Broflovski, a red-haired Jewish boy. Kenny McCormick, he hides his face behind an orange parka. And Eric Cartman, a chubby, fat moron who usually wears a red sweater during the winter. I believe you know of these boys, yes?' The raven nodded slightly. 'I've seen them before around town, based on your description. So what do you want, some help finding them?' The figure shook his helmet back and forth. 'No.' a male voice sounded.

'I want your services.' the stranger revealed. The dark haired boy dusted off his suit coat with a hand and lifted it upwards, trying to straighten it. 'Now..I can help you...for a f-.' In an instant the boy suddenly felt the faint wind from a metal object flying right by his cheek. A knife vibrated as it thumped into the wall not far behind him. 'And you will offer them to me.' the dark voice said.

'Fine, what is it you want done?' The black haired boy saw a hateful malice in the dark eyes behind the visor. 'Send word to your men, if they see any of those four, they are to capture them and bring them here. You will not kill them on sight, you will leave that part to me. Trust me, I remember you too...' The raven raised an eyebrow. 'Well, I'd say the same, but I haven't had a look at your face yet...'

'Remove your helmet, and I will fully offer my services to you.' The black haired boy offered, curious. 'Very well.' the dark male voice slowly. His gloved hands undid the straps underneath the helmet. The straps came undone and rested loosely in the air. The stranger placed both hands up against the bottom of the helmet. He lifted it off his head. The boy tried to observe their face, flickering from the light of the candle flame. The raven's eyes widened. 'I-It's you...I can't believe it...'

'Tomorrow.' the rider said, holding the helmet at his side. He gave a light grin before turning away from the black haired boy.

'He's really returned...' the dark haired boy thought as he watched the familiar face head towards the door. His boots stepped in the blood from the lifeless body as he nudged the door open. 'That will be you next if you turn against me.' he threatened. The face of the rider was barely visible from candle lit hallways as he walked underground. His heavy footsteps echoed against the hard surface beneath them. 'It's almost time...' he thought. He became excited at the thought of being satisfied from killing the boys. His eyes turned darker, filling with evil, hateful emotions.

A chapter was coming to a close as the events that would lead everyone together slowly worked into place. Fates were about to collide, and the future was about to change...

The legend was about to begin!


	23. EC: Converging Fates - Part I

**_Author's Note:_**_ Yet again, another chapter takes the record for the longest I've released so far. (7.6k words) Wow! I sure wrote a lot for this chapter. Exciting things are about to happen. I know most stories don't usually have chapters in a part 1/part 2 format, but I couldn't think of a better title for these next few chapters, even if I have to mention it's a 'part 2.' I sat down with a good friend of mine today and revealed to her all I had planned for the coming arcs, and she was very excited to see it come into words. I'm grateful for everyone's awesome dedication and I look forward to the end of these next few chapters. _

_As I said I'd do, I'm going to be giving a personal shout out for each chapter I publish..._

_**Author's special shout out:**_

_The FanFiction user '**CookieswithStyle**' for being a great reviewer and motivator!_

Chapter 23 – Converging Fates – Part 1

**POV: **Eric Cartman

'Fifteen pounds. Seven days.' Eric looked down at the digital scale underneath his feet. 'This is really working!' he thought happily. He noticed his body had seemed just a tad slimmer than before. Eric had been purging his meals quite frequently as of late, and it had caused him to lose a substantial amount of mass in a short time. Cartman would purge nearly all of his meals. He only allowed a few courses to digest in his body. 'Screw Clyde, I'll be the next best thing.' Eric was already feeling better about his body. He was becoming less self conscious, and was making progress he believed would make him attractive enough for others.

Cartman stepped off the scale and onto the cool tile floor. The rain was drizzling outside in the dim morning light. The weather channel forecast predicted heavy rain all day long, with possible thunder showers later tonight. 'Sweet, mom won't make me go out tonight.' Eric hated when his mother forced him to go out and get some fresh air on sunny days. Eric was worried he would eventually run into Clyde on the streets. 'Pfft...' Eric let out an annoyed huff at the thought of Clyde. He was little more than a traitor to Cartman.

Everything had been so boring for Cartman lately. Without being able to hang out with Clyde, he had no one else to spend time with. Cartman felt he could never forgive Clyde for casting him aside so easily. Eric thought Clyde was the one person who had offered him any friendship over the summer. That same person he considered a growing friend to him had betrayed him. Cartman wasn't interested in re-kindling the friendship. 'Let Bebe run his life.' he thought sourly.

Cartman lifted the weight scale off the floor and opened the cabinets underneath his sink. He set the scale lightly inside and turned to exit the bathroom. He strolled down the upper hallway hopped down the stairs. Eric was ready to get himself some breakfast, which would soon end up in the toilet. His mother was lying in a pink bathrobe across the couch, watching the morning news. Cartman noticed her face looked slightly red, and she appeared to be exhausted. Liane heard Eric approaching, and turned her head with some effort to meet him with glazed eyes. 'Morning, Poopy.' she said weakly.

Cartman paused. 'Are you OK?' he was concerned for her. She shut her eyes and rested a hand against her temple. She lightly massaged it with her fingers. 'Yeah, I am...listen hun, I'm sorry to ask this, but I need a big favor for you.' Cartman sighed. 'What?' 'I need some aspirin but we're all out, could you go to the pharmacy and get some for me?' Eric was annoyed that he had to venture out into the rain, he thought that was something he could avoid today. 'Please, hun.' his mom asked sweetly. She gave a small grin. 'I'll give you some spending money.' she tried to bribe him. Eric felt a slight anger rise inside of him at her question.

Cartman didn't his mother's pornography earnings. It disgusted him to even think where that money was coming from. 'No thanks, I'll just go to the store and get you what you need.' Eric said flatly. Liane tilted her head slightly. 'You sure, love?' Eric nodded. 'Alright then.' Liane reached across the couch towards the coffee table, where her brown, leather purse was sitting. She rummaged through it and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. She extended her arm up towards Eric. 'There you go, there's plenty there, and some extra in case you change your mind about something.'

'I'll be back.' Eric informed her. He snatched the money from her hand and slipped it into his pocket. Cartman walked over to the closet situated underneath the staircase. He opened the door and searched through the dark inside. He pulled out a dark red umbrella a moment later. 'What fun...' Eric thought sarcastically. 'Now I get to enjoy singing in the rain.' He shut the closet and walked over to his front door. Cartman stuffed his feet in his sneakers and grabbed his red coat from the coat rack. He flung it around him, enveloping him in a thin warmth. Eric pushed the front door open to be met with the crisp air of the morning rain shower.

He puffed out his umbrella and swung it over his head. He made sure to shut the door behind him. 'Alright...here goes nothing.' Eric stepped down the wet steps and made his way across the narrow pathway towards his gravel driveway. The rain pattered above his head against the thin umbrella. Eric eyed his mother's car parked nearby. 'Oh, I better grab my phone!' Eric had left his cell phone in the car's cup holder, he had forgotten to take it with him when his mother and him went on a grocery trip. Eric walked over to the drivers side door and yanked it open. Cartman reached over the fabric seats and grabbed his phone, still situated just where he had left it. As he retrieved his phone, he began to pull back out of the vehicle, but stopped when he noticed a faint glimmer coming from near the steering wheel. The car keys dangled in front of him, his mother had forgotten to take the keys with her. Eric's mind thought of the risky, yet fun possibilities of turning the car on and driving away.

'Well...she isn't feeling good...and the pharmacy isn't that far away.' Eric tried to barter with himself. He was still too young to have a drivers license, but he had observed his mother drive many times. He was confident in his abilities. 'I'm sure she won't mind if I take it for a spin...I'd be careful...right?' Eric wanted some fun this summer. He hadn't done much this summer, he felt it was time to leave his mark. 'It's nice and dry inside...it's faster than walking...and it's cooler to drive.' Cartman gave into his temptation without much thought. 'Oh, alright...I'll do it.'

He pulled his umbrella closed and slid into the drivers seat. Eric tossed the umbrella on top of the vacant seat next to him with a light plop. Eric closed the car door and trailed his fingers along the car rain pattered against the windshield lightly as he caressed the metal. 'Do I...?' Cartman considered backing out at the last moment. He was suddenly reminded of how he felt tired of having to walk everywhere. At least with a vehicle, the trip would be much shorter altogether. 'Everyone has that one crazy thing they do in their lifetime...' Eric grinned and twisted the keys.

The engine purred underneath him to life. Cartman was grateful his mothers car operated quietly. He figured his mother would try to sleep on the couch while he was away. It would be unlikely she would check to see if her car was still out front. Cartman turned on the radio. An old man was droning on about politics, a subject that didn't interest Cartman. Eric tapped the mute button, silencing the old man. 'I'll wait till I get on the road...' Cartman decided. He extended his foot down to the break pedal and pressed against it. He used the shifting mechanism to put the car into reverse. Cartman then flicked on the windshield wipers and twisted behind him. He let the vehicle roll down the hill backwards. Cartman was nervous as he watched himself descend towards the street. He tapped the break, testing the car's abilities. It stopped in an instant.

'This is...awesome!' Eric said happily. Eric's mind was tingling from the excitement of his daring adventure. He rolled down onto the road and twisted the steering wheel. He stepped on the brake pedal and adjusted the car to drive forward. With a light press against the gas pedal, he drove down the road towards the South Park pharmacy. It was usually a five minute walk to the pharmacy, but by car it should only be about a minute away. Eric had enough time just to taste of luxury. Eric turned the radio station to a rock and roll and roll song. Eric enjoyed the rhythm, he reached down and increased the volume. The music boomed against the car windows. Eric sang to the song loudly as he drove along the deserted streets of South Park. 'I need to stay at the speed limit...' he was cautious. Eric flicked his eyes from the road to the speedometer, then back again. 'Good...' he said when the needle reached the speed limit of twenty-five miles per hour.

Cartman saw a red octagon in the distance with white letters across it.'OK...stop sign up ahead.' He tapped the break when he neared it. The car came to a rough halt, making Cartman bounce forward slightly. 'Unf!' he let out a brief huff from the impact. He re-composed himself and looked down the streets, checking to see if any traffic was approaching. He didn't see a car anywhere. Cartman drove through the intersection and headed straight. 'Oh, headlights!' Eric thought in a worry. He turned the car lights on, they dimly glared against the wet pavement as he drove. 'This...this is...AWESOME!' Eric said out loud. He started laughing, he was having so much fun. Cartman turned on his blinker and turned right onto the road where the pharmacy was located.

The pharmacy's lit up sign blinked to his left through the heavy rain. A lone car sat in the small parking lot outside. Eric turned on his blinker and pulled across the street and into the parking lot. He carefully situated the car perfectly between a parking space. 'I'm an expert.' he told himself. He turned off the headlights and parked the car. Eric twisted the keys backwards, silencing the soft purr of the motor. Eric thought about how it would be cool to walk in a store with dangling keys, as if he owned his own car.

Eric stepped outside into the rain and shut the car door behind him. He tapped the lock mechanism on his key chain. The car gave a few light beeps as the car doors locked simultaneously. 'Sweet.' Eric thought. He waddled up to the pharmacy's glass doors and stepped inside. 'Hello.' the mustached pharmacist greeted him from behind the front counter as he walked in. 'Hey.' Eric said coolly. He made sure to poke a finger through his key-ring as he walked to make sure his keys jingled in the air. He swung them around his finger. He loved acting like a grown up.

Eric glanced around the store at all the different medicines. He wasn't familiar with pharmacies. 'Where's the aspirin?' he asked the man behind the counter. He scratched his bald head. He used his other hand to point towards the corner of the store. 'The back corner, on the third shelf from the bottom.' The pharmacist nodded to Eric. 'Thank you.' Eric replied. The man gave him a grin. 'No problem.' The pharmacist dissapeared into the back room.

Eric made his way to the back corner of the store, just as the pharmacist had told him. 'Let's see...aspirin...aspirin.' he eyed the different bottles among the shelves. He used an index finger to slowly work his way across the names of the medicine. Eric finally found the aspirin on the far end of the shelf. 'Here.' he grabbed the bottle in his hand and proceeded back up front to the counter. He set the aspirin on the counter and pulled out the twenty dollar bill his mother had given him. Cartman tapped his fingers on the counter, acting like he was an impatient adult.

The man emerged from the doorway a moment later. 'All set?' he asked as he eyed Eric's purchase. Eric nodded. 'Yup.' Cartman jingled his keys slightly, trying to emphasize he drove a car. Eric liked pretending he was mature enough to do things he wasn't old enough for. 'So, some great weather we've been having, huh?' the pharmacist asked sociably. 'Yeah, it's definitely not too fun to drive through.' Eric let out a light chuckle. The pharmacist let out a light breath in response and grinned. 'I know that feeling all too well.' Eric was glad the employee didn't seem to object that Eric was a driver today. Eric was having so much fun acting like he was older.

The pharmacist tapped the number keys on an old cash register. 'Alright...that'll be five dollars even.' Eric handed him the bill. 'Out of twenty.' he stated as he typed on his register. The drawer flung out with a light ring and the pharmacist worked his hands quickly to get Cartman's change. 'All right, fifteen dollars back to you.' the pharmacist set the bills back in Eric's hand and reached under the counter for a small plastic bag.

He plopped the aspirin inside the plastic bag along with his receipt and held the bag out for Cartman. 'There you go, have a nice day.' Eric nodded. 'You too, man.' He grabbed the bag walked away from the counter, glowing with happiness. This was so daring, yet so exciting and fun. He saw a blurry figure behind the glass windows of the pharmacy approach the front doors. The bell above the door chimed at the entrance as the door opened. Eric's eyes widened as he noticed Butters step inside.

Butters froze as he nearly passed Cartman. His blond tuft was soaking wet from the rain, yet the blond managed to smile. 'Hey, Eric!' he said cheerfully. 'Hey...' Eric said back to him. He hadn't expected to run into Butter's here. Butter's eyed the keys dangling on Eric's finger. He raised an eyebrow. 'Are you driving?' he asked, pointing at the keys. Eric pretended to cough into his hand and placed a hand over his chest. 'My mom let me borrow her car because I'm not feeling well. She's not either so she let me go.' Butter's tilted his head. 'Aren't you a bit young to be driving?'

Eric scoffed. 'I only live like...a minute away Butters.' Butters rubbed his hands together nervously. 'Gee-wizz...I wish my parents let me drive...' Eric jingled the keys in his hands, trying to tease Butters. Leopold seemed not to take much notice. 'So what are you here for?' Eric asked, jingling his keys yet again. Butters frowned. 'Oh, well...I got grounded so my parents sent me out to wander around until nine. I just stopped in here to get out of the rain.' Butters rolled up his sleeve and checked his silver watch. 'I can go home now...I just walked all the way here...going to be a long walk back...too bad I don't have an umbrella either...' Eric thought Butters was trying to make him sympathize with him to give him a ride.

'Yeah, that sucks man.' Eric said, uncaring. 'Good talkin' with ya' Butters. Bye now.' He started to push the glass door open. 'Hey, wait, Eric!' Eric held the door half open and cranked his head back to Butters. Butters tapped his fingers nervously in front of him then pulled his hands behind his back. He kicked his leg slightly along the ground. 'Do ya think I could get a ride home?' he asked sweetly.

Eric considered the idea, since he had asked. He didn't particularly care much for Butters, but he thought how Butters could tell the others he drove him home. 'Sure, no prob.' Eric said slyly. 'Come on out and hop in.' Butters grinned. 'Golly, thanks Eric!' The two walked outside into the pouring rain. The two dashed for the car. Eric unlocked the car doors. The headlights turned on, followed by a light beeping sound.

'Alright, hop up front.' Eric instructed through the rain. Butters skipped through the rain around to the passenger door. Eric rolled his eyes. 'Such a dork...' he thought. Eric opened his door and slid in. Butters stood in the rain, holding the umbrella Eric had tossed in the seat next to him. 'Just throw it in the back.' Eric pointed behind him. 'Oh...all right.' Butters said timidly. He followed Eric's idea and tossed the dark red object on the floor behind his seat.

Butter's slid inside and shut his door. Eric saw him twist to pull the seat belt out. Eric nearly panicked when he realized he didn't put on his seatbelt since he left his mothers house. 'Good idea...' he thought. Eric twisted and reached for his own seat belt. He clicked it firmly next to his behind. 'Alright...' Eric said. He slid the keys into the ignition and twisted them. Butters stayed silent next to him. Eric put the car in reverse and extended an arm towards the passenger seat. He twisted his head around to make sure he didn't hit anything.

When he was clear he turned the cars lights on and put the car into drive. He rolled down onto the street and stepped on the gas towards Butters house. Cartman used to ride the school bus back in elementary school, and he remembered where Butters house was. After complaining about how the bus seats were hurting his behind and back, Eric's mother offered to drive him to school every day. Eric was grateful for her offer, he hated riding on the noisy bus. He loved his mother, he just didn't like the fact she was destroying herself for money. Eric's hands gripped the steering wheel tightly.

The car buzzed lightly down the streets. Butters house was a only few minutes away. Eric tapped the steering wheel with a hand. 'Wanna listen to music?' Eric offered Butters. 'You sure?' Butters asked him. Eric nodded. 'Yeah, go ahead.' Butters grinned and touched the stereo buttons. He flipped through the channels. Butters mouth dropped when a familiar song filled the car. Butters started singing in that unique, squeaky voice of his. 'Lu,lu,lu. I got some apples. Lu,lu,lu, ya got some t-.' Eric quickly extended a finger and tapped the mute button. Butters lowered his head. 'Aww...'

'Butters...' Eric started. 'If you want to sing it, you're supposed to sing when it plays loudly, that way no one else in the car can hear each others voice.' Eric blasted the song throughout the car, and Butters and Eric both sung it loudly all the way to Butters house. They had just finished the song when Butters house came into sight. The song finished and Eric turned the mute button on. Butters and Eric began laughing hysterically.

'O-Oh my God Butters...' Eric said after a long laugh. He lifted a hand from the steering wheel to wipe a watery eye. Butters was holding his stomach and laughing loudly next to him. Cartman pulled up to the curb alongside Butters house. 'Here you are, Butters.' Eric said, trying not to laugh. 'Golly, thanks Eric.' Butters said. 'Hey, you wanna soda pop or somethin' before you head home?' Butters offered. Eric hadn't had soda for several days. He scratched his chin, contemplating the offer. 'Oh, all right.' Eric turned the key and pulled it out, silencing the engine. He slipped the keys in his pocket. Butters and Eric walked up the driveway together. Butters stopped before the door and turned to Eric. 'Sorry to do this, but my parents don't like unexpected guests. I'll get grounded if I bring you in. I'll be quick though.' Eric nodded. Butters swung open the door into his house and vanished. Eric stood under the small awning covering the front door.

Eric stuffed his hands in his pockets as he waited for Butters to return. He heard rapid footsteps approach the door. The door swung open yet again. Butters was in his socks. 'Here ya go Eric.' Butters said, extending a cold pop out to him. 'Thanks for the ride.' Eric grinned back at him. 'No prob.' Butters gave an innocent smile. Cartman's heart dropped when he saw Butters frown. His eyes widened with fear as he fixed his eyes on something behind Cartman. Cartman twisted around to see the flashing red and blue lights of a police cruiser soaring down the street.

The police car pulled up behind the his mother's silver vehicle. Cartman let out a heavy sigh. 'Oh no...'

'Oh, hamburgers!' Butters said nervously. 'This doesn't look good Eric, did you do something you weren't supposed to?' Eric let out a huff. 'I don't really have a license Butters, but I don't know why he stopped behind it.' Butters started rapidly breathing. 'I'm sorry Eric.' he dashed inside his house. The cop car parked behind his mom's vehicle. The police cruisers door opened. Officer Barbrady stepped out into the rain, wearing his dark blue uniform and black shades. He eyed Eric standing at the doorstep. 'Scuse me young man.' Barbrady called. 'Come down here for a minute.'

Eric's mind was frozen in fear. He wanted to run, but knew the risks of resisting arrest. 'I screwed up.' Eric admitted to himself. 'Here goes nothing...' he walked down the driveway towards Barbrady. His body felt heavier than ever as Barbrady watched him from behind his dark glasses. Officer Barbrady pointed to the car next to him. 'This vehicle was reported as stolen.'

Eric's heart dropped in his chest. 'Stolen?' he gasped out Eric thought by asking, he'd seem innocent. 'I know you, you're Eric Cartman.' Barbrady said. 'Do you even have a license, kid?' Eric let out a heavy breath. 'No...' Barbrady's lips formed to make a tight line across his face. 'This vehicle is registered to your mom, you stole it and drove it without a license, didn't you?' Eric remained silent at the question.

Barbrady sighed. 'Turn around, place your hands behind your back.' Cartman closed his eyes tightly. 'I'm so screwed.' he thought nervously. 'It's over, my whole summer is over.' Eric felt the metal handcuffs slap against his wrists. 'You have the right to remain silent.' Barbrady informed him. 'Anything you say can and will b-.' his words were cut off by the front door of Butter's house flying open. Eric snapped his head towards the house.

Butter's parents, Linda and Steven stood in the doorway with Butter's. Steven held an umbrella for his wife as he and Butter's walked in the rain. 'Can I help you?' Barbrady asked as the three approached him. Steven and Linda glanced at Cartman, both shook their heads. Cartman was so embarrassed by his mistake. 'So much for a good reputation.' he thought sourly.

'Hi, officer Barbrady.' Steven greeted him. Barbrady held one of Eric's arms with a firm hand. 'Steven.' Barbrady said pointedly. Steven shook his head and touched a hand to his forehead. 'I am SO sorry. This is a big misunderstanding officer, let me explain.' Officer Barbrady raised a hand. 'I understand this boy here stole his moms vehicle and drove without a license. By law I have to take him into custody to answer for his crimes.'

Steven raised a hand back at him. 'Wait, Barbrady, that's not true at all.' Eric's eyes widened. He tried not to act too surprised. Barbrady loosened his grip slightly on Cartman. 'Explain.' the cop ordered. Linda nodded to Steven. 'Well, you see...' Steven started, scratching the back of his head. 'Liane hasn't been feeling well lately. Our car isn't working right now, so Butters and I walked over to her house to check up on her. Liane wasn't feeling well, and asked for some medicine from the pharmacy. Liane didn't want us to have to walk back through the rain to help her out, so she gave Eric her car keys to Eric, which he then gave to us. We had actually just gotten home from the pharmacy, Eric was going to spend the night here, so I was just dropping him off as I was going to run the aspirin to Liane.'

Barbrady paused, digesting the story. 'Then why did she report the car as stolen?' he asked suspiciously. Steven chuckled a bit. 'She forgets a lot, Barbrady. She's on several different medications right now, and she's not feeling well, either. She forgets things sometimes...I just spoke to her on the phone a minute ago. She asked me if she knew where her car was, then I reminded her that we had borrowed it. If you'd like, I'll drive Eric back home and you can follow us and clear everything up with Liane?' Steven asked.

Barbrady gave Eric a confused look. 'Is what he says true?' he asked. Eric nodded, he didn't want to go to jail. 'Yes..it is.' 'Oh, alright.' Barbrady said, seemingly a bit disappointed. Eric was so relieved when his metal restraints left his wrists. He rubbed the light red marks that had formed on him. Cartman's clothes were wet from the heavy rain. He looked at Steven with thankful eyes. 'You've got the keys, right?' Steven asked. 'Yeah...' Eric shuffled through his pocket and held his keys out to Steven. 'Butters, why don't you come with us?' he asked the blond. 'You can stay here, Linda.' Steven pecked his wife on the cheek. 'Sorry about all this Barbrady, just follow us.'

Barbrady nodded and returned to his vehicle. 'I'll be back soon, dear.' Steven said to Linda. He handed her the umbrella he had been holding. She took it gently. 'Come on boys.' Steven prompted the two. Eric hopped up into the passenger seat. Butters hopped in the back behind Eric. The two were completely silent, fearful of the scolding they would get.

Steven opened the door and slipped inside. Everyone shut their doors, enveloping the car in a tense silence. Steven turned the keys and brought life to the engine. He flicked on the windshield wipers and headlights and started driving towards Cartman's house. Cartman sat in his seat with his arms crossed. He stared at the raindrops dripping down the window. 'Eric.' Steven started. Eric snapped his head over towards him. 'I'm not your mother, I can't punish you. But you made a really bad mistake here. If Butters hadn't begged us to go along in the moment, you may have ended up behind bars.' Eric bit his bottom lip.

'And Butters, you know better than to ask for rides, that's rude.' Butters started to speak, Steven interrupted him with a loud voice. 'You're already grounded, mister!' Butters sighed behind him. 'I'm sorrrrry...' he said sadly. 'Now, you two boys have caused enough trouble today. Butters, you're going to apologize to Ms. Cartman for asking Eric to drive, you know he's too young to have a license. And you both put yourselves in a dangerous situation by being in a car inexperienced. If we hadn't been there to save you, Eric...' Steven huffed. 'I'm sorry...' Eric said sincerely. Perhaps his apology could lessen his punishment in some way.

'I'll let your mom sort everything out with you.' Steven told Cartman. The car turned back into a tense silence as Steven drove silently down the wet streets. Along the way a dark motorcycle revved loudly through the rain. It zoomed in the other lane with a loud rumbling. A small skull ornament on the front of it shined from the cars headlights. The rider eventually passed them, headed in the opposite direction. Eric didn't give another thought about the soaked motorcycle driver. His stomach dropped when he saw his familiar home come into view down the street. Steven pulled up the driveway and returned the vehicle to its original position atop the driveway. He turned the keys off. Eric reached for them, Steven pulled them out of the slot and pulled them away from him. 'I'm not giving them to you.' he scolded Eric.

Eric and Butters stepped out together. Barbrady parked along the curb and up towards Steven. Butters tapped Eric on the shoulder, he turned around to see a bashful Butters. 'Hey Eric...' Butters said, kicking a foot back and forth the ground. 'I know we all make mistakes, and I sure didn't want to see anything bad happen to you...I just wanted to let you know...even though we both will probably get hollered at...I had a lot of fun with you today.' Cartman couldn't help but grin at Butter's cute voice.

'I hope you don't get too grounded.' Eric wished him. 'You too.' Butters replied. 'I owe you one.' he promised Butters. 'Boys?!' Steven called from the other side of the car. Eric and Butters nodded to each other and stepped around the vehicle. Steven stood on the pathway leading up to the front steps of Cartman's house. Barbrady allowed the two boys to go. The cop followed them from behind. 'Alright, lets get things cleared up here.' Barbrady said before he approached the door. He rasped his fist against the wooden door. 'Ms. Cartman, this is officer Barbrady! I know you aren't feeling well, but could you please open up?' Eric glanced in the windows, it was dark inside his house.

A bright light suddenly turned on inside the house. Eric heard the light shuffling from his mother as she came to the door. Liane opened the door and gazed at Barbrady with a tired smile. 'Why, hello, Barbrady, Steven, Butters...'she looked at Eric with a stern look. 'Come on in for a minute.' she said, extending an arm to invite them all inside. She was still in her same pink bathrobe she had worn earlier. Barbrady placed his hands on his hips as Butters shut the front door.

'Ms. Cartman, Steven tells me you've been forgetting a lot lately from not feeling good?' Liane nodded. 'Yes, I'm so sorry for all of the confusion, officer. I'm afraid I've been coming down with something hard lately. I truly hope I didn't ruin your day by the confusion. I did give Steven permission to drive the car. Eric wasn't involved in any way, he just rode with them to try to help his mommy.'

Barbrady looked at Cartman and back at Liane. 'Just as some advice, ma'am...Maybe you should see a doctor if you are forgetting things so often.' Liane grinned. 'Yes, I will, I'm sorry for the trouble officer.' Barbrady nodded back to her. 'All right, I think we got it all straightened out here. Hope you get feeling well again, Ms. Cartman.' Liane thanked Barbrady and led him to the door. Barbrady tipped his hat to Liane before he left. Eric felt as if he was about to die from an incoming punishment.

'Liane, I'm so sorry for what my son helped cause.' Steven gave Butters a hard look. 'I'm sorry for asking Cartman for a ride, Ms. Cartman.' Butters said shly. He looked down at the ground with sad blue eyes. 'That's alright, hun.' she said. 'We all make mistakes, I just hope you understand you could have both were in danger. If Eric was to get into an accident and hurt someone or either of you...' Butters nodded to her, highly understanding. Steven and Liane locked eyes again. 'Well I apologize for the confusion, Liane. I'll definitely give my son a good talking to...I'm sure you'll have a word with your son, just don't stress yourself out too much. We want you to feel better, not get worse.' Liane gave a friendly smile. 'Thank you Steven. I'll drive you two home real fast.'

'Don't worry yourself.' Steven shook his head. 'We'll walk home together, that would give us a chance to talk along the way...' Butters looked down at the floor nervously, his hands started shaking slightly. Eric knew he was worried about his incoming punishment. 'Take care, Liane.' Steven said, extending a hand. 'You too.' Liane said, lightly gripping his hand and nodding. 'Let's go.' he nudged Butter's behind the shoulder. 'Bye Eric.' Butters said sweetly. 'Bye...' Cartman called quietly after him. Liane saw them both to the door. Eric stood awkwardly in the living room. Liane gave a final wave to the Stotch's and shut the door.

Liane turned back to Cartman, he couldn't bring himself to look into her eyes. 'Eric, sit down on the couch.' Eric obeyed her orders, sitting down lightly. He hunched forward and interlocked his fingers between his knees. He stared at the ground and twiddled his thumbs, nervous. The anticipation of his scolding had been eating at him. 'Just get it over with.' Eric said out loud. Liane didn't reply as she took a seat next to Cartman.

She reached over and grabbed one of his wrists and led his hand towards her. She held his hand in hers, and massaged his chubby, fat fingers gently. She used her other hand to brush Eric's cheek for a moment. Cartman turned his head to look into her felt a stab in his heart when he saw her eyes were watery. 'Hun...' she started. She let out a long breath, trying to control her emotions.

'I know you're growing up. You're getting older every day. I've watched you make mistakes over the years, but this one really tops anything you've ever done.' Eric sighed. 'I know...' he had to admit it was a stupid mistake he had made. He was dumb to take such a risk. He was lucky to be sitting here with his mother instead of a cold holding cell. Liane squeezed his hand. 'I know you never had a father growing, and sometimes I feel I'm to blame for your mistakes. I wish I had kept a better eye on you.'

Eric was surprised how easy she was being on him so far. He had expected her to yell at him in fury. 'I know I've been really busy with my work and haven't been home often...' Liane said. Eric frowned at word: work. 'What's the matter, hun?' Liane asked. Eric shook his head. 'Nothing...sorry.' he said.

Liane gave Eric a questioning look. 'OK...Well hun...Back to what I was saying. I made some mistakes growing up too, some bad ones. I even ended up in jail a few times.' Cartman's eyes widened, and he raised an eyebrow at her. 'You...were in jail?' he asked. She had never told him this before. Liane nodded. 'Yes, I was. I got drunk a few times and got into some fights, I did a few drugs when I was a teenager...I wasn't the best person growing up. I don't want to see you turn into what I was like, Eric.'

Eric was usually stubborn and sarcastic, but his mothers words had touched him. 'I'm sorry...' he said, looking into her saddened eyes. 'I'm so sorry, mom...' he said. Eric felt tears starting to water in his eyes. He realized her money making from pornography wasn't likely a simplistic choice. With a criminal record, it would be nearly impossible for her to find any other job that pays that well. Eric didn't want her to have to slave herself for money, but he partly understood why.

'When I get old enough.' Eric said. 'I promise I'll get a job, I'll help pay for your vehicle, to help you out a bit.' Eric vowed. 'Mom...' Eric's thoughts wandered back to his mothers 'business.' 'There has been something I've been meaning to talk to you about now...it's not easy for me to say...' Liane tapped a hand on top of Eric's, surrounding his hand completely. 'While we're talking, hun.' Liane prompted.

'I know what your 'work' is.'. Eric carefully emphasized 'work.' Liane's eyes flickered with sudden panic. 'Y-You do?' she asked. Her face was already red from her fever, it turned even redder in embarrassment. Liane seemed to pretend Eric didn't really know what he was talking about, as she didn't say much. 'Mom...can't you try finding SOMETHING different? I understand it's hard to find a good job, but I mean...anything other than pornography. I can't stand thinking about you that way. Can't you just quit and try to find another job?'

Liane gave the slightest smile. 'I'm sorry you had to find out, dear...It's just...' She looked down at the floor. An eerrie silence enveloped the room. 'I...I can't because of a contract...' Eric huffed at her excuse. 'A contract?! You signed up with a whole...contract?!' he was frustrated that she couldn't leave for anything right now. He badly wanted his mom to do something different. 'Well when is your contract up?'

Liane let out a long sigh. 'It's for a few more years, love. I...' She looked back at Eric. 'Hun...I need to tell you something.' Eric fixed his gaze hard on her eyes. 'What? You can tell me anything.' he offered. She gave him a sad, deep look. 'What I do now makes plenty of money for us to live well...Hun, this may sound selfish, but if I was to find a job, even if it was different...You wouldn't have nearly as much as you do now sitting away for your college. I've been scraping some money to try and put that towards your education and future. I don't want to see you end up like me.'

'Well I'll get a part time job, so you can quit there and find something else.' Eric said hopefully. 'Right?' His mom gave him a look, one that Eric wouldn't understand until much, much later. Her eyes had a strange complexion to them. She seemed as if she was indifferent about Eric's idea, at least that is what Eric thought at this point.

'Hun...when I retire, I'll have plenty of money to quit by then. I know you don't like it, but I can't just...walk away from my career so easily. I have my responsibiltiies, too. Maybe if I have an opportunity elsewhere that pays just a bit less or even more, I promise I'll take it.' Eric shook his head, angered by the constant excuses. 'I just can't, hun.' Cartman didn't understand one bit why she tried to hold on to that job. Didn't she know he was embarrassed by her 'activities?'

'There's one more thing I want to talk to you about, hun.' Liane said. She sighed heavily. Her watery eyes were nearly overflowing now. 'Hun...I know you've been purging your body...' she said. Tears rolled down her cheeks. Eric's jaw dropped slightly. 'How long have you been doing this?' She asked him. 'What, how'd you find out?' Eric asked in surprise. 'I noticed how often you flushed the toilet upstairs...and you look a little thinner now. Us mom's have a way of looking out for things like that. 'So how long have you been doing this?'

'About a week.' Eric admitted. Liane shook her head. 'Hun, do you know what that does to your body? It takes away the nutrition your body needs. When your body is deprived of what it needs, it starts to eat away at fat and muscle. It's slowly eating YOU in a sense. Hun, please just stop doing this.' Eric felt a pang of sadness inside of him. He felt sorry for his mother, he felt like an awful son for putting her in the situation he was in. But to Eric, he was doing something that he knew would better his own life. He wanted, no, NEEDED friends right now.

'I doubt you'd understand what I'm going through.' Eric retorted bitterly. Liane wiped her eyes as more tears dropped. 'Love, I've been through all sorts of things in my life. But, I've never purged before... So I don't know what you're going through, or how you feel right now. But if you want to lose weight, there are a lot of other ways to do that. I'll even help you if you really want.' Weight. The word made Cartman flare up in anger. 'Do I have a weight problem?' he asked her venomously.

'I'll be honest, you could lose some weight.' Liane replied. Cartman stood up angrily. Liane grabbed his wrist hard, he didn't try pulling away. 'Hun, don't leave, sit back down, please.' She loosened her grip, giving Cartman a choice. Cartman let out a huff and collapsed back onto the couch. 'You can always talk to me.' Liane offered. 'I almost never hear about your friends. I'm sure you've seen some of them, haven't you?'

Cartman shook his head. 'No, I don't have any friends.' Liane frowned at him. 'Eric dear, you have a friend. You have me.' Eric raised a hand to her and slapped it back against his knees. 'Oh, cool, thanks.' he said, annoyed. 'Oh come on, hun...what about your friend that went through your experience today? If he wasn't your friend, would he go tell his parents to make a big plan to keep you from getting into trouble?' Eric thought about it for a moment. '..I guess he might like me as a friend then...' Eric said. Liane nodded. 'And if you remain friends, this very day is something you can reflect back to together.' she gave him the nice thought of a good friendship.

'See?' Liane continued after a small silence. 'You have friends around you, you just have to find them.' Cartman pictured Clyde in his mind. His perfect body, personality, and general attractiveness had made Cartman envy him. His mom's words suddenly made him envy Clyde slightly less. 'Thanks...' Cartman said. Liane let out a very long sigh and removed her hands from Cartman. She tapped a hand against the couch leather. 'Now there's still the issue of what to do with you after today...' Liane said grimly. The conversation was a roller coaster for Cartman, he couldn't wait until it ended.

'Before you decide...' Eric said. He held out both arms towards Liane, and bent them as he spoke. 'I'm truly, very very sorry for what I did today.' His arms rested back against his knees. Eric was actually sincere from his apology, he had to admit he loved his mom with all of his heart. Even if she made some horrible mistakes, he'd still love her now and forever. 'I hope you forgive me and do whatever you think is best.' Eric said truly. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the sentence. He felt his mom move on the leather couch. 'Here we go...' Cartman thought. He assumed she was going to take away his game console for the whole summer. It probably would do him some good, he knew, but it didn't make him any happier. Liane placed her lips lightly on Eric's forehead, giving him a gentle kiss. Eric's eyes flew open.

Liane backed away and placed her hands on his shoulders. 'You'll be a fine man one day.' she said. She grinned at him with teary, red eyes. Cartman blushed slightly. 'O-OK, but uhh...' Eric was a bit embarrassed from his mothers sudden love. 'What about my punishm-' Liane placed a finger against Cartman's lips. 'It never happened.' she said with a smile. 'We'll get you into a drivers education program when you come of age. Then I'll let you drive ME everywhere. That's your punishment.' she said, laughing.

Cartman had never loved his mother more in his life than this very instant. One of the biggest mistakes he had ever made had happened today. Cartman couldn't help but give the biggest, toothiest grin he could. 'I love you, meeem.' he said sweetly. He threw his arms around his mother, and squeezed her tightly in his arms. She reached a hand behind his head and stroked at his brown hair. She had understood his problems silently, and she was someone who truly cared for eyes watered from happiness.

Tears streamed down his face silently into her pink bathrobe.


	24. CT: Converging Fates - Part II

**_Author's Note:_**_ Hi everyone! Hope you are all enjoying your day! My story has been steadily growing in views and I'm glad to say I'm excited to continue unfolding the story little by little. All my dedicated readers mean so much to me. Without an audience, maybe there would be no forms of art? Food for thought. I hope you all enjoy the new chapter, let's party!_

**_AUTHOR SHOUT-OUT__ TO:_**

_My friend **Jasminepower**, who has been a great source of feedback! Thank you for being awesome!_

**_ENJOY!_**

Chapter 24 - Converging Fates - Part 2

**POV: **Craig Tucker

On the same rainy day, Craig awoke from his deep sleep.

Craig tried to open his tired eyes. With some effort his eyelids slowly opened. His vision was blurry and dark, he couldn't make out any details around him. Craig felt a hard surface underneath him from where he was lying. Something soft and fuzzy was tickling his cheek. Craig's entire body ached, and he felt very groggy. Craig blinked a few times, trying to clear his sight. After a few moments, his vision slowly returned to him again. He eyed the area around him, and soon realized he was inside of the same plastic hut at the playground from last night. 'Heroin...' Craig recalled the name of the drug he had tried.

Heavy rain continued to fall rhythmically outside. Craig felt his clothes against his skin. They felt wet, dirty, and itchy. 'Ugh...' Craig thought in annoyed disgust. Craig hated being dirty, he was surprised at himself for running through the rain yesterday. He knew rain was supposed to fall all day today, but the dark skies gave no hint as to what time it actually was. Craig took a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself. His mind felt lazy and a bit dazed. Craig longed for a nice warm meal, a shower, and his comfy bed. While he very much wanted these things, he soon realized he didn't want to go home, due to being afraid of his abusive father. 'Never mind...' Craig thought sadly. His cheek lightly ached where he had been punched not long ago. Craig felt a bit strange after taking the heroin. He was jittery and his entire body was shaking slightly. His mind almost perceived things as if he was in a dream. Craig wondered for a while if he was even back in reality. He hadn't remembered anything at all from last night. Everything that had happened seemed to blend together into a big nothingness.

Craig placed his hands flat against the hard plastic and pushed himself onto his knees. His arms shook as he tried to push himself up. Beneath Craig's head he eyed his dark blue hat, a bit dirty and soaked from the rain. Craig felt a sharp feeling of guilt inside of him from looking at it. 'You gave me that hat...' Craig thought sadly. Craig knew he could dry his hat and brush off any dirt, but he felt bad for being so careless about his grandmother's gift. 'I won't let that happen again, I promise...' he vowed silently. Craig slouched backwards to sit on his behind, and rested his head against the hard plastic wall behind him. 'What am I doing to myself?' Craig wondered. He held his hands in front of him, they were red in a few places and were shaking uncontrollably.

While the experience wasn't the healthiest thing he could do, Craig had to admit he honestly felt better under the influence of the drug than he had in a long time. The heroin had numbed his feelings, and made him feel euphoric. It was as if he went into his own world, lonely and empty, but free of pain and suffering. Craig figured he was feeling the after effects from his drug experience now. 'I don't know if I want to do that again...' Craig had heard heroin was extremely addictive, and his body seemed to crave it after being euphoric just a day before.

Craig pulled up his wet shirt sleeve and flipped his arm over. A small red mark the size of a head of a pin marked his arm, exactly where Tweek had poked him the night before. Craig lightly rubbed a shaky finger around it. The stress of everything was eating at Craig inside like a disease. Craig suddenly let out some slow, heavy breaths, trying his best to clear his mind of negative thoughts. He closed his eyes tightly and pulled his knees towards him. He hugged his knees tightly and lowered his head down towards his chest. After his mind had settled down, he opened his eyes and stared out at the metal playground steps, glimmering lightly from the moisture. Craig wanted to do nothing but bolt down the steps and head somewhere else, but home wasn't an option for him.

'Most people are home right now...' Craig thought quietly. 'Where am I going to end up?...Am I ever going to actually have a place I can call home?' Craig knew his life would likely get better if he was patient enough, but the mental torment he had experienced lately was eating at him fast. He felt as if he was struggling to keep his mental state in check. Craig felt as if his body was slowly eating at him, and he was somehow changing inside. He had to admit he was frightened about the way he was feeling lately.

'I don't know what to do...' he admitted to himself. Craig felt as if time was moving incredibly slow, just to tease him some more. Craig wasn't sure whether or not he should do something about his family. He was in a situation where no matter what he chose to do in the future, it wouldn't come without heart ache. Craig's heart hurt and his mind burned at the thought of his father. Craig wished he could run to the police this very instant, and have his father thrown behind bars. However, the worry about being truly hated by his mother and sister was something he didn't think he could bear. Not only that, but if he was taken away from his family, who knows where he would end up? He may not even remain in South Park, where he was born and raised. 'Stay out of trouble.' His fathers words echoed in his ears. Craig's body ached all over for a moment from the words. His legs were stiff, he stretched them out in front of him and wiggled them slightly, trying to get his blood flowing again. He let out a small sigh. 'I should probably go somewhere else.' he thought tiredly.

Craig didn't want to go home, he just wanted to stop somewhere where it was warm and dry, and away from everyone else. He didn't have any money on him, but just being inside some place he could be more relaxed appealed to him. Craig plucked his hat from the floor beside him and placed it back on his head. It felt cool against his black hair. 'Alright...' Craig reached behind him and placed a hand on the wall, and tried to heave himself upwards. He stumbled a bit, but managed to regain his balance. His legs felt so much better from standing up again, he was ready to leave and get his blood pumping again. Craig turned towards the opening of the small hut. He held one hand firmly against his head, securing his hat. Craig bolted out into the rain and dashed down the steps.

His body was becoming re-soaked from the relentless heavy raindrops splattering against him. Craig reached the bottom step and hopped off onto the playground wood chips. Small waves lapped in the nearby lake, and sound waves danced across the gray waters. Craig turned and eyed the road. Not a single car was seen cruising down the streets. It seemed as if the rainy weather had made South Park a ghost town lately. Craig ran away from the lake towards the cement sidewalk. The splashes of water against his face made him become slightly more awake and alert. He reached the sidewalk and began sprinting down the street. He eyed all the buildings as he ran by them, trying to find a decent place to seek shelter.

Craig's shoe slapped against a puddle, sending a light splash upwards. His shoes made squishing sounds from the exposure to the heavy rain. As Craig ran, he recalled the day Wendy had ran away from him into the rain. His heart felt painful for a brief moment. Craig hadn't seen Wendy since she had dumped him, and he tried to numb his emotions towards her. Sadly, his heart still longed for her. He missed her, she was the one light in this dark world he was in.

In the distance, Craig eyed an old pink sign lit up on the front of a building. The word 'Diner' was spelled out from the glowing letters. 'Fine, I'll stop there.' Craig was panting heavily from the running. His stomach growled, and Craig felt slightly lightheaded. 'I need something to eat...' Craig hadn't been eating too well the past few days, he needed some energy again. Craig had hardly tried to eat anything at home. He was fearful that if he went into the kitchen, his father would suddenly come through the front door. Craig didn't want to think about what would happen next. His body shivered slightly in fear. He switched his thoughts back to the present. Craig dashed across the street to the diner.

Less than a minute later Craig pulled open the glass door and stepped into the dry, warm restaurant. The smell of food filled his nostrils and made his mouth water. The diner was almost completely deserted tonight, all of the booths, tables, and stools up at the front counter were unoccupied. 'All by myself...just the way I like it...' Craig was glad he was the only one here. He eyed a stool up near the front counter. He felt his head pulse from the exercise as he slowly walked over to it. Craig was so grateful when he slid onto the soft, squishy seat and placed his soaked hat on the counter. He leaned forward and interlocked his fingers together. 'I'll probably just get some free water...' Craig knew he didn't have the money to pay for a full meal. Hopefully his server wouldn't be too offended.

Craig turned his head behind him, trying to see if any employees were about. He didn't see or hear anyone. 'I wonder where everyone is...?' South Park had an eerie feeling recently, it seemed as if the small town had gone silent. Craig shrugged at the thought. 'I guess everyone just doesn't like the rain.' He turned his head back forward and gazed down at the checkered counter top. Various checkered squares each held their own color. Craig eyed them each individually. He stopped when he saw a purple square. It reminded him of Wendy's purple scarf and hat. Craig rubbed a finger around it. 'I miss you...' He jumped at the thump of a coffee cup against the counter in front of him. Steam rose out of the warm beverage and up near Craig's face.

Craig raised his head and widened his eyes in surprise. A familiar, tall man with glasses stood behind the counter stared at Craig with a friendly grin. 'Hey kid.' Craig recognized the familiar voice of Mr. Donovan, Clyde's father. 'Hey...' Craig said tiredly. 'I'm sorry, but I don't have any money, Mr. Donovan...is it possible I could just get a water?' Craig lightly pushed the cup back towards Clyde's father. Clyde's father raised a hand and lightly pushed his fingers against the cup, stopping Craig. 'Hey, don't worry. The coffee is on the house today. It's decaf anyway, not many people order that.' Craig removed his fingers from the cup, allowing Mr. Donovan to lightly press the cup back towards him. Craig gripped the cup in his hands and looked into Mr. Donovan's green eyes. 'Go on.' Mr. Donovan nodded at the cup. Craig's hands were slowly being warmed by the hot beverage. He pulled the cup up towards his lips and sipped lightly. The coffee felt hot in his mouth. He swallowed it quickly, and felt a warmth travel down his throat. He sighed and set his cup back down against the counter with a gentle thump. 'Thanks, Mr. Donovan...I really appreciate that.'

'Hey, no problem.' Mr. Donovan said cheerfully. Clyde's father leaned forward and rested his hands against the counter. 'I'm the only one here tonight. I thought it would be completely dead...' Craig avoided Mr. Donovan's eyes and took another sip of his coffee. Craig broke the awkward silence. 'I haven't seen Clyde all summer, how has he been?' Craig asked casually. Mr. Donovan's eyes flickered, he adjusted his glasses with his index finger. 'Oh, he's doing pretty good, I suppose. He's always out doing whatever with his friends...so I haven't seen him that often. I just recently got a part time job here, so I see him even less now. But, I'd do anything to help pay for his future...' Mr. Donovan plucked a rag from his apron and started wiping the counter near Craig. Clyde's father was a hard working man, Craig knew. Mr. Donovan had a full time job as a business analyst, and now on top of that, he was making extra with a part time job. Craig felt sympathetic for Mr. Donovan. Clyde's mother had also had a full time job while she was alive, but now that she has passed on, Clyde has to rely solely on his father for support. Craig wished he had a father who cared that much for him.

'You know...' Mr. Donovan said as he continued wiping along the counter. 'I'm sure Clyde would like to see you again.' Craig felt another wave of guilt wash over him. 'I want to see him again, too...' Craig replied. Craig had been close friends with Clyde for a long time, but Craig had spent so much time with Wendy that he figured Clyde would find other friends to hang out with. Craig honestly did feel he neglected Clyde, he hoped he could make it up to him someday. Craig tapped his fingers against his coffee cup. He felt lonely at the fact he didn't have anyone sitting with him. Craig needed a friend right now, maybe Clyde was a friend he needed. 'Maybe I should find some other people to hang out with, too...' Craig pondered over the thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by Mr. Donovan. 'Pick anything you'd like.' Mr. Donovan extended an arm out showcasing the large diner menu mounted on the wall. 'Oh, really...I don't have the money. I appreciate it, bu-.' Mr. Donovan raised a hand in mid-air, cutting off his words. 'Don't worry about it, Craig. I haven't seen you in forever. You're soaked anyway, I'm sure you want something warm to eat. Let me get you something for you. It's alright. Go right ahead.' Craig felt warmed by Mr. Donovan's kindness. Craig raised his eyes up and scanned the menu options slowly. 'Uhm...' Craig was trying to think of a good choice. 'Can I get...a cheeseburger and some onion rings?' Craig asked tiredly. 'Sure thing, kid.' Mr. Donovan said with enthusiasm. 'Do you want the burger topped with everything?' Craig nodded. 'Alright, I'll have it out soon.' Mr. Donovan dissapeared behind the double doors into the kitchen.

The diner quickly returned to silence except for the rain slamming against the roof overhead. Craig took another sip of the bitter coffee. Suddenly, a light rumble of a motor sounded near the street. Craig twisted around and gazed out the glass windows. Craig watched a black motorcycle soar down the street. A dimly lit headlight was shining against the wet pavement. A figure sat on top of the motorcycle, the rain splattered against their helmet. They leaned forward, as if intensely trying to focus, and revved the engine loudly. Craig wondered for a moment if he was seeing things. 'A motorcycle in the rain?' Craig blinked again, and the motorcycle vanished, along with the light roaring of the motor. 'Weird...' Craig shrugged, not giving another thought to the matter.

Within a few minutes Mr. Donovan returned to the counter and set a plate of steaming food in front of Craig. Mr. Donovan flung a towel over his shoulder and clapped his hands together. 'Dig in. I made it just the way you liked it when you would come over all the time. Medium rare with everything on the burger.' Craig smiled slightly. 'Thank you for being so good to me.' Craig had never had someone be so kind to him before. He saw Clyde's father check his silver watch. 'Well, my boss said I could have a break time. It's pretty dead in here. If you don't mind, I think I'll join you for a bit.' he said. 'Sure.' Craig nodded. Mr. Donovan grabbed two cups from under the counter and pulled out a small hose. Mr. Donovan squeezed a trigger, and the cups filled with the sweet, sugary beverage. 'I figured this would be better than coffee.' Mr. Donovan two glasses near Craig.

Craig took quick a bite of his cheeseburger. The warm, juicy flavor filled his mouth. He hadn't had food this good in such a long time. This was the first time anyone had ever given him a free meal as a good gesture. Craig normally ate up in his room a lot of times, due to his father saying he was too much trouble to sit at the table with the rest of his family. Most times Craig only received the small leftovers from the rest of his family's dinner. Craig swallowed the delicious food with joy. 'It's so good...' Craig felt a mixture of happiness and sadness from Mr. Donovan's compassion.

Mr. Donovan walked around the counter and sat down on a stool to the right of Craig. 'So, how have you been Craig? How are your parents doing, I haven't seen them in a very long time.' Craig's lips stiffened. 'Fine.' he said shortly. Mr. Donovan nodded, perhaps a bit surprised at Craig's response. 'Clyde tells me you've been outside a lot this summer.' Craig nodded and plopped an onion ring in his mouth. 'So what brought you out on a rainy day like this? Did you get in some trouble or have a fight with someone?'

Craig swallowed and remained silent for a moment, he wanted to choose his words carefully. 'I just had some problems with a few people, so I went out for a walk...' Mr. Donovan eyed Craig's face carefully. 'You know, you don't exactly look the best, Craig.' Clyde's father said, clearly concerned. 'I'm fine.' Craig lied. Mr. Donovan sighed. 'Craig...Why do you have a large bruise on your face? Did someone hit you?' Craig looked into Mr. Donovan's eyes in panic. 'I...uh...I fell down.' Mr. Donovan tilted his head suspiciously. 'You tripped on the sidewalk?' Craig scratched the back of his head. 'Uh no...I was at the beach and fell off the playground...I must have hit my head on something. I've always been clumsy.'

'Oh...wow.' Mr. Donovan said slowly. Craig wasn't sure whether or not he was convinced. 'Well...don't go around hurting yourself anymore.' Mr. Donovan gripped Craig on the shoulder and shook him lightly. Craig's defensiveness kicked in and he quickly shrugged off Mr. Donovan's hand and twisted towards him. 'Don't touch m-.' Craig said involuntarily. Mr. Donovan gave Craig a confused, startled look. Craig frowned. 'I'm so sorry, Mr. Donovan...I'm just really tired, I didn't mean that.' Mr. Donovan's eyes seemed to be analyzing Craig. 'You sure you're OK?' Mr. Donovan asked. Craig nodded quickly. 'Yes, I'm fine. Again, I'm really sorry about that, I'm just a little shaky from being tired and getting in an argument.' Mr. Donovan gave a weak smile. 'That's alright, Craig. Don't worry about it. We all do things, I'm sure you didn't mean it. But hey, let's ignore that and enjoy a nice chat.' Mr. Donovan reached for the glass of soda pop he left on the counter and extended it up into the air. 'To a good summer.' Craig grinned, relieved Mr. Donovan changed the subject. Craig grabbed his glass and held it up. 'To a good summer.' Craig and Mr. Donovan tapped glasses.

Craig drank the sweet beverage. It felt cold, yet its sweetness was something he savored. 'So have you done anything fun this summer?' Mr. Donovan asked.'Not really...' Craig said with a frown. Craig felt his summer had been hardly anything but a living hell so far. Craig had once looked forward to the summer before school was released. He expected Wendy to be with him all summer. She was his medicine, and his great escape from everything. Unfortunately, the same person he had loved betrayed him because of his tight heart. Craig was angered at Wendy from her betrayal, yet he already had forgiven her, even if she hadn't apologized.

Craig and Mr. Donovan made small talk as they sat together. Mr. Donovan cracked a few jokes, making Craig giggle. It was actually making Craig's day a little better. The minutes seemed to fly by. It was nice to have someone next to him for once, who actually wanted to talk. Before long, Mr. Donovan checked his watch. 'Well, I should probably get back to work. That kitchen needs to be cleaned.' Craig nodded, understanding.

'You're a good kid, Craig.' Craig's eyes widened. 'W-What did you say again?' Craig stuttered, he was so surprised, he had to hear it again to be sure he heard right. 'You're a good kid.' Mr. Donovan repeated. Craig's heart seemed to lift at the words. 'Thank you...' Craig replied. He had never been called a 'good kid' before.

Mr. Donovan stood up and grabbed Craig's empty plate. 'Thank you for the awesome meal.' Craig said happily. 'It was really good.' Mr. Donovan gave Craig a warm smile. 'No problem, we could all use something nice once in awhile.' The diner bell chimed suddenly. Craig and Mr. Donovan instantly turned there heads towards the door. Craig saw a familiar blond walk into the diner with a green, unevenly buttoned green shirt. 'Tweek...' Craig identified him. Tweek eyed Craig and walked over to him, twitching nervously along the way. His blond hair was soaked and clung to his face.

'Hi, welcome!' Mr. Donovan said. Tweek approached the counter and slid onto the seat on the opposite side of Craig. Mr. Donovan eyed the two boys. 'Are you two friends?' Craig turned towards Tweek, who nodded his head. 'We sure are.' Tweek said coolly. 'I'm sorry, I don't want anything, I just wanted to see Craig.' Tweek added. 'Well, have fun boys. It was nice seeing you, Craig.' 'Likewise.' Craig replied. Mr. Donovan stood up and walked back behind the counter with Craig's dish and the two glasses. An odd silence hung in the air until Mr. Donovan dissapeared again behind the double doors. Craig waited a few seconds, then twisted his body towards Tweek. 'What are you doing here?' Craig asked, irritated. Tweek tilted his head. 'I didn't see you at the playground...I went back to make sure you were OK. I passed by here on the way back and saw you sitting down...I thought I'd say hi.' Craig eyed a light red mark across Tweek's neck, almost hidden from his green collar. 'Tweek...' Craig started.

'What?' Tweek asked, unaware of what Craig was referencing. Craig suddenly had a bad feeling, as if he should avoid asking. 'Uh...sorry, I forgot.' Craig said nervously. He didn't know what had happened last night, but something about Tweek's minor injury seemed eerily familiar. Craig thought he had dreamed about Tweek getting attacked by someone. 'Maybe it's just a coincidence Tweek has a red mark on him...maybe he had that already. He said things are strange when you take heroin...' Craig thought. Tweek tapped his fingers on the counter. 'So...did you like it?' Tweek's eye twitched nervously.

'It was...an experience.' Craig said casually. 'I don't know, Tweek. It was so strange.' Tweek grinned. 'It's one of those things that you can keep trying to describe, but can't exactly describe it. That's what makes getting high so fun.' Craig frowned. Tweek gave Craig a concerned look. 'Are you alright?' Tweek asked. 'It's just...you looked...I don't know...really sad when you were under the effects...I don't mind sharing with you a few more times, but I don't want to put you in a situation where you think it's like an anti-depressant or something.'

'I'm fine.' Craig lied. Tweek gave him an unsure look. 'I know a lot of people say they liked it, and wanted to try more. So I'm just saying, you have to be absolutely sure it's not just for depression. ' Craig felt a slight thump in his chest. He suddenly felt more conscious of his heart beat. Craig's hands started shaking and he started breathing a bit heavier. 'Withdrawals.' Tweek said. 'That's the only thing that sucks.'

Craig's head began to ache. 'Agh...' he complained. He touched his forehead with a shaky hand. Tweek grabbed Craig's wrist and pulled it underneath the counter. Craig felt Tweek place a small plastic bag in his hand. Tweek guided Craig's fingers to squeeze around it. 'For later.' Tweek said. 'If you need a place to shoot up, you can always come over to my house for awhile. It's right next to my parent's coffee shop. Craig stuffed the tiny bag into his wet pocket. 'We'll see.' Craig replied.

Craig suddenly felt like he was being watched, he twisted around and stared out the windows again. The streets were still lifeless. Suddenly, the diner bell chimed and Craig looked over at the door. Craig's heart dropped when he noticed a familiar sight. A girl with a purple hat and long black hair walked in. She was completely dry, despite the rain. Craig saw Wendy avoid eye contact with him as if he wasn't there. Tweek followed Craig's gaze. 'Is something the matter?' Tweek asked. Craig saw Wendy slip into the bar stool next to him where Mr. Donovan had been moments earlier. Wendy placed her purse on the counter and looked around casually. Craig watched her in confusion. 'Wendy?' Craig asked. Tweek gently put a hand on Craig's shoulder. Craig twisted around. 'Craig?' Tweek asked. 'Is something wrong?' Craig huffed. 'Could you give us a minute?'

'What?' Tweek asked. He peered around Craig. 'Sorry, Tweek, I just need a minute.' Tweek raised an eyebrow. 'Uhh...Craig.' Craig became impatient. 'What?' he asked shortly. Tweek pointed to where Wendy had sat. 'There's no one there.' Craig immediately twisted back towards the seat behind him. Wendy had dissapeared completely. Craig glanced all around the diner, and soon realized she had been a hallucination. 'Oh no...' he thought in a panic. 'I'm seeing things, I need more.' Craig tapped his pocket.

Craig laughed awkwardly and turned back to Tweek. 'I'm just messing with you!' Craig tried to lie about his experience. 'I haven't spoken to her since she broke up with me.' Tweek looked at Craig with concern. 'You should go home Craig, get some rest and take a shower. You look really tired. If you need me, I'm sure you'll find me around somewhere...Take care Craig.' Tweek hopped off the bar stool. 'Wait.' Craig blurted. Tweek paused. 'I'll come over later, just let me run home and get some clothes.' Tweek nodded. 'Sounds like a plan, my man.' He punched Tweek lightly on the shoulder. Moments later the bell chimed as Tweek left the building. Craig was all alone again.

Craig became uncomfortably aware of his heartbeat. 'I need to go relax again...' Craig tapped his pocket. Craig thought about going home and lying on his bed in the dark. He imagined how it would feel to take the heroin yet again. Craig had to admit, he thought it would be therapeutic for him. Craig sighed at the thought of heading home.

'Maybe dad isn't home...and maybe mom and sister aren't there either.' he thought. Craig decided he'd go check. If no one was home, he figured he'd take a shower and gather his clothes. Maybe he'd just lock himself in the bathroom and shoot up. Craig decided he'd play it by ear. 'Alright...let's go.' Craig grabbed his hat and placed it on his head yet again. He hopped off the stool and headed for the glass door. He pushed it open and stepped outside, back in the company of the rain. There was a small awning situated above the doorway. Craig waited for a moment underneath it, sheltered from the rain. 'I wonder how many people are watching the rain right now...' Craig pictured Wendy in his mind. Her touch, her voice, her eyes, Craig still loved everything about her. 'I miss her so much...' he felt his eyes start to water.

Craig slowly stepped out from under the awning and returned to the sidewalk. He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked slowly, uncaring of getting soaked once more. Craig pictured the small bag inside his pocket. 'Would Wendy care?' Craig thought about how she had left him, he really wondered if she still cared about him or not. Craig's eyes suddenly snapped on something approaching him on the sidewalk.

Craig saw someone moving through the rain. He couldn't make out the details of the person or their face from the thick rain. Craig squinted, trying to adjust his vision. Craig continued walking, and glanced every few seconds to see if he could identify the person. As the distance between them closed, Craig made out dark, black hair on the boy walking. Small drops of rain clung to the ends of the dark hair, and dripped slowly onto the ground. Craig recognized Stan walking with his head down. Something about the way Stan walked made Craig feel an odd sense of familiarity.

Craig felt a strange sense of connection with Stan, even though he had hardly seen or spoken to him lately. 'He's out in the rain too...depressed like I am.' Craig could tell after being depressed for so long, that Stan was truly depressed too. Craig wanted to say something to Stan. He wanted to ask Stan what led him to walking in the rain alone. Maybe he could be someone Craig could talk to. Stan didn't seem to notice Craig at all as the two neared each other. Craig held his head down, similar to Stan.

The rain continued to pelt the two boys. Craig and Stan passed each other without a word. As they passed, Craig noticed him and Stan walked nearly the exact same way. 'He misses someone...just like me...'

A flash of lightning erupted as the two walked away from each other.

Craig's eyes became watery again and tears burst from his eyes. Unseen behind him, Stan cried, too.


	25. KM: Converging Fates - Part III

_**Author's Note: **Alright, part 3 is out! This chapter isn't as long as some of the more recent ones, but it was a necessary part of the story. I am so, so, so, emphasizing this in bold...**SO** excited for Chapter 26. So question of the day: Do you think Stenny is going to happen? Let me know in a review, I'd love to hear your feedback!_

_***AND HAPPY 100K WORDS!***_

**Author shout out to:**

_FanFiction user **Cster,** for his friendly reviews and allowing me to beta-read his story. Thanks for trusting me! :)_

**Enjoy, fellow South Park Shippers!**

Chapter 25 – Converging Fates - Part 3

**POV: **Kenny McCormick

On the same rainy day, Kenny McCormick watched the rain fall from his bedroom window.

Kenny had squeezed onto the narrow window sill just a few minutes ago. His back rested against the rough wall behind him. He had pulled his legs inward in an attempt to keep warm from the chilly, musty air. He shivered under his orange parka. Kenny's home didn't have any heating or cooling, his parents couldn't afford much more than a few scraps of food. Kenny's stomach grumbled, something he had grown used to. Even though Kenny had grown up with much less than others, and didn't have the luxuries others were given on a daily basis, Kenny always tried to remain positive and grateful for whatever he was given. Even the seemingly smallest things to others, such as friendships, or even a smile was enough to make him happy. He believed he could be happy, even without all the expensive things others owned. Sadly though, Kenny wasn't sure whether or not he was happy with how things were going lately. He was a bit depressed today, the rain was preventing him from venturing out to see Stan.

The idea of running through the rain without an umbrella didn't appeal much to Kenny. On rainy days like today, it wasn't unusual for most South Park residents to stay in the shelter of their dry, warm homes. It was rare for Kenny to do anything outside when the weather wasn't fair. When the circumstances were similar to today, Kenny would mostly spend his time at home sitting on his window sill, and engage himself in deep thought as he felt the nature around him.

'Ugh, come on...It's summer, it's not supposed to rain.' Kenny took in a sharp breath of the crisp, musty air. 'Besides, it makes it such a chore to want to hang around someone..having to run through the rain to see someone...that sucks.' Kenny thought of Stan. He hadn't seen him since their last outing at the beach, where they had watched the fireworks together. 'I wonder how he's feeling today...' Kenny's mind flashed back to their last 'hang out.' Kenny wasn't sure whether or not their last experience would be considered a date.

Kenny couldn't forgot how he had held hands with Stan during the finale of the fireworks festival. Him and Stan were alone together, at their secret hidden spot far along the beach. Kenny remembered how his spirits had lifted from Stan agreeing to his touch. Kenny had never felt happier to feel Stan's fingers slip between his. Sadly, the experience had only lasted for a few minutes. They held hands up until the last of the fireworks exploded across the sky. Stan had told Kenny he was ready to go home, and then released his grip on Kenny's hand. Stan had acted as if nothing between them had happened. Kenny couldn't help but think he wasn't nearly what Kyle was to Stan. The thought created a dull ache in his chest.

It always seemed that no matter what Kenny did with Stan, whether it be to make him smile, laugh, or even hold his hand, Kenny felt Stan was never happy enough with him. Kenny let out a loud sigh. 'I wish things didn't have to be so complicated. Why can't things just go back to the way they were?'

Kenny remembered his original group of friends when he was in fourth grade. Kenny grinned at the memory of how young everyone was back then. Kenny missed the youthfulness of himself, Eric, Stan, and Kyle. They had all been a tight group, and had experienced many things together. As time went on, they all seemed to walk different paths, and slowly distanced from each other. Stan and Kenny were the last members of the group to still hang out together. Kenny missed the days when Kyle was in South Park. He remembered how close Stan and Kyle had been.

'Kyle...' Kenny pictured the red head in his mind. He wondered where Kyle was at this moment, and what he was doing. Kenny found it strange that he hadn't heard anything from Kyle since he left for Sweden. More surprising to Kenny though was the fact that Kyle hadn't spoken to Stan. After all, it had been nearly two years since Kyle left, Kyle seemed like he had just vanished in mid-air, and was not much more than a memory. This next winter would mark two years since Kyle's absence. 'It's like he's dead and gone...' Kenny shuddered, suddenly feeling anxious.

Kenny felt the dark feeling from his dream envelope him yet again. 'No...' Kenny squeezed a hand against his forehead and scrunched his face. 'Go away...' The flashback of the dark shadow in Kenny's dream had unnerved him. Kenny felt as if an invisible force was choking him. He let out a sharp gasp of air, trying to breath. Kenny placed his hands over his chest, his heart was racing. Sweat rolled down his face. 'Kenny, just breath...' he tried to tell himself. He forced himself to take a deep, shaky breath. He exhaled slowly through his nostrils. After what seemed like ages, Kenny's heart slowly returned to a normal beat. He wiped the sweat off his face. 'What's with me lately?'

Since Kenny had the strange nightmare, he had been haunted from recurring thoughts of the dark shadow that had stood above him. The voice in the darkness had sounded familiar, and had chilled Kenny to the bone. He shivered at the thought of who the voice belonged to. 'Stop.' Kenny thought to himself. He let out a few deep breaths. 'You need to quit being so paranoid, you're only going to scare yourself and others...' Kenny tried pushing the thoughts to the back of his mind. 'What else can I think about...' He thought desperately for a change of subject. 'I wish the rain would let up so I could see Stan...'

It was late afternoon now, and the skies continued to get darker by the minute, threatening a severe thunderstorm for South Park. The thunderstorm seemed to reflect Kenny's building feelings. He wasn't sure how much longer he could hold them in before he burst with the truth. Kenny wasn't sure how he would feel about pursuing a relationship with Stan. It was true he wanted to, but he felt he should remain a loyal friend to Kyle. 'Does Stan still love him the same way? Or does Stan like me now? Maybe both? I'm not sure...'

Kenny thought about how he had been a loyal friend to Stan in Kyle's absence. Kenny had been there for Stan when Kyle couldn't. The two had grown a unique sort of bond with one another. Sadly, Kenny wondered if the bond was strictly a platonic friendship, and would remain that way forever. Even though Stan had held Kenny's hand, Kenny wasn't sure if that was out of actual love, or if he was comforted by Kenny's touch. Maybe it could have been merely a friendly gesture...

Kenny ruffled his blond hair with both of his hands in frustration. 'Ugh...why does love have to be so complicated?' he thought tiredly. Even though Kenny knew very well he may never hold a place in Stan's heart like Kyle, he couldn't deny one thing: He loved every single thing about Stan. Kenny hated to see Stan so depressed all the time, it bothered him whenever he would see that look in Stan's eyes that hinted he was longing for Kyle. Kenny promised himself he would never let Stan become so depressed he would suffer. He tried so hard be someone important to Stan. He wondered if Stan knew he truly cared about him.

Kenny secretly wished that everything would go back to how it was years ago. He felt it would make life so much easier if Kyle was back in South Park, and the once tight group reformed again. 'If Kyle was here...' Kenny thought. He pictured his bashful, redheaded friend. Kyle had been so smart, and it had been a struggle for Kenny to get through his school without his help. Whenever Stan and Kyle weren't spending time, it wasn't uncommon for Kenny to be gifted with the company of Kyle, sometimes helping Kenny. 'I have a missing friend, and a friend who I may never be good enough for...I'm sure Kyle would want to be here...right?' Kenny felt something in the pit of his stomach, an indescribable feeling of worry.

'It seems like he's just a memory, even though we were so close once.' Kenny thought it was strange. It seemed weird that the world was still turning, and South Park was still thriving with activity, yet Kyle wasn't here. It was eerie for Kenny to think about Kyle being in trouble. His absence had worried Kenny, and he knew Stan was likely worried every waking moment. Kenny wasn't sure why Kyle hadn't spoken to him or Stan in nearly two years, something just didn't seem to fit right.

A few knocks rasped on Kenny's bedroom door. Kenny turned his head. He saw a brown eye peer through his run down door, where a doorknob would have been. 'Kenny?' he heard his brother Kevin sound from behind the door. Kenny sighed. 'Come in.' His brother pushed the door open and stepped into the room. He eyed Kenny with innocent eyes. 'Have you seen my phone?' he asked. Kenny shook his head. 'Nope.'

'Darn it...' his brother sounded. 'I need to text Red...' Kenny pictured the pretty red haired girl at school. Kenny raised an eyebrow. He didn't know Kevin was speaking with Red. 'Text...her?' Kenny asked slowly with a grin. 'Is my older brother in love?' Kenny watched with amusement as his brothers face lit up a bright red color. 'No she just...Uhh...aah...' He froze mid-sentence. 'Well, it's not in here anyway...bye Ken!' His brother ran out of Kenny's room. Kenny giggled, amused at his brothers embarrassment. 'Same brother...so adorable.' Kenny held a warm smile. 'He's growing up too...he finally found himself a special someone...' Kenny's smile slowly faded as he realized he was in his room alone again. 'I wish I had someone here...' Kenny's heart yearned to have love returned to him. Kenny hadn't truly been in love before. He had dated a few different girls throughout school, but his relationships never turned into anything serious. Kenny wondered if this next school year would bring about new love for him. Summer was nearly half-way over, and Kenny hadn't done anything too exciting yet.

Kenny jumped when the dark grey sky rumbled with thunder. A gust of wind picked up, making the tall grass outside his home sway. 'We haven't had a storm like this in awhile...' A few drops of rain lightly tapped Kenny's face from the wind. 'I wonder if Stan is watching the rain...' he badly wanted the presence of his friend right now.

'He has a friendship I've never seen. A romance I've never imagined could be possible...and a loyalty to his best friend...' Kenny stopped his thoughts. 'Could I ever be that person that he could call his BEST friend?' Kenny wondered. 'I could never replace the bond Stan and Kyle had...but could I ever amount to anything close to that? If I'm around him more...would that make any difference? What don't I have that Kyle had?'

Kenny rested an arm across his stomach, and placed a hand over his heart. He felt his heart beat slowly, as if it was slowly dying from not experiencing the love he wanted. 'Like the rain...how much longer can I hold it in before everything comes crashing down?' Kenny wished he could hold Stan's hand right now. Stan's touch had felt warm and gentle, yet Kenny felt his grip was almost lifeless. It made Kenny feel as if he was holding hands with a ghost, someone who wasn't complete.

'If I never tell him...what will happen if Kyle comes back? Will I enjoy seeing the two together again?' Kenny wasn't sure how he would feel if Stan and Kyle reunited. It did warm Kenny to think about Stan being happy. However, Kenny had to admit: he wasn't sure whether or not Kyle would ever come back. 'What if he never comes back?' Kenny picked at the thought. 'Will Stan just be miserable the rest of his life? Would Stan ever come to terms and move on, maybe?'

Kenny often became engaged at the thought of his future. He felt his life was in a low point right now. Only time would reveal where he would end up. Maybe he would end up in a rich house like Token's, though even a house like Stan's would suffice. Stan had several game consoles, video games, dvd's, electronics, a comfy bed...all of which Kenny didn't have, but would like to some day. Stan had actually never came over to Kenny's house except to talk with him or meet him. Kenny wasn't sure if Stan was turned off by the fact Kenny lived in a run down home. 'If Stan was here right now...' Kenny thought. He stared over at his messy bed. His blanket had holes in it from prolonged use. 'All I have to give is my company...so I wouldn't blame him if he wanted to go elsewhere.' Kenny thought sadly. He hugged himself tightly as another cold gust of wind came through his room. Kenny wished he was over at Stan's house, where he had a warm fireplace he used on occasion. Kenny imagined the flames shining against Stan's face as his deep blue eyes shined brightly with emotion.

'I don't know why Kyle hasn't spoken to him...' Kenny thought, concerned. 'Not one e-mail, phone call, or even a letter...' Kenny pictured Stan's eyes yet again. 'Would Kyle want me to ever fill a gap in his heart?' Kenny wondered. 'Would he be mad at me if I tried?' Kenny still valued his friendship with Kyle. He still considered him a good friend, even if he was far away and unheard of for a long time. Kenny's mind flashed back to the last day he had seen Kyle in South Park. It had been almost two years ago, when the original gang met at Stan's house for New Years Eve to celebrate one last time before Kyle left.

Kenny recalled how he had drank that night. He had felt the strong buzz of the alcohol, and he even remembered when him and Kyle were locked together in Stan's bathroom. Kenny had asked Kyle excitedly whether or not him and Stan were a couple. Kenny recalled feeling so happy that Stan and Kyle's feelings were mutual for one another. Kyle and Stan had agreed to not become an official couple due to Kyle leaving, but they seemed to agree that if they were re-united, they would make up for lost time. Kyle had never seemed like the type of person who would intentionally leave someone without another word. Kenny pictured Stan's smiling face when Kyle was still in South Park. 'I've waited...' Soon after Kyle had left, Stan and Kenny had began seeing each other more often.

'And waited...' Kenny pictured the growing friendship between him and Stan. Stan had smiled with some effort from Kenny. The last day of school leading into this summer he had seen Stan's eyes glow with enjoyment. 'I've helped him so much...' Kenny was satisfied at the sight of happiness . 'Yet he doesn't know...' Kenny gripped at his chest, and felt his heart beat slowly against his chest.

'It hurts...' Kenny felt a dull pain in his chest. 'I've helped Stan and Kyle so much...yet I still seem like someone who doesn't fit in with either of them, at least not completely...' Kenny felt his hormones stir, his eyes slowly watered. His conscious spoke to him. 'If you never tell him, how will you ever know how he feels?' Kenny thought carefully for a response. 'I can't.' Kenny spoke with his mind. His conscious spoke again. 'If you tell him now, maybe he'll realize it. Maybe your love for him will make him happy. Maybe he never knew you liked him, so he never thought he'd be in love again.' Kenny debated with himself for a decision.

'If I tell him the truth, I'll know whether or not he feels the same way. I could put an end to all my worry...If he doesn't feel the same way, he'd still be my friend, right?' Kenny thought one more time about Stan's longing eyes. 'I've helped him...' He imagined Stan and Kyle laughing and smiling at each other. 'And given the two of them so much time and love...' Kenny shut his eyes tight. 'I choose...' Kenny remembered when he landed on top of Stan, and their faces were only inches apart. 'I choose...' He remembered his dream, where Stan had placed a mittened hand on Kenny's cheek. 'You'll discover some feelings soon...' Stan's words rang through Kenny's ear.

Kenny's phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Kenny was so deep in thought he became startled at the movement and twitched. He started losing his balance, and fell of the windows sill. He tumbled sideways onto the floor, his breath left him as he landed. 'Damn it...' Kenny huffed out. He quickly scrambled to his knees. His phone had fallen out of his pocket, and was lying face down on the floor nearby. The phone buzzed impatiently. Kenny hurried to pick it up. He gripped it and flipped it over, and felt his heart beat a little faster. The phone displayed the familiar image of Kenny and Stan, meaning Stan was trying to reach him. Kenny gulped. With a deep breath, he hesitantly tapped the screen, accepting the call. His arm shook as he brought the phone to his ear. 'Hello?'

'Hi Ken, it's Stan...' Stan paused for a moment. 'Hey, S-Stan...' Kenny said, a bit awkwardly. Kenny started trailing a finger across his dirty, carpeted floor. Sometimes if he distracted himself he could become less self-concious. 'What's up?' Kenny asked. There was a brief, tense silence. 'Kenny, there's something I need to talk to you about...it's been on my mind for awhile now...' Kenny's heart seemed to freeze. 'Oh?' Kenny asked, becoming increasingly nervous. 'W-What is it?'

He heard Stan sigh. 'Look...I know it's raining. But I need to talk to you about something really, really important.' Kenny's eyes widened. 'Important..?' he thought in surprise. Kenny's mind wandered the possibilities of what Stan would tell him. 'Do you want me to come over?' Kenny asked. 'Yes, I do.' Stan said. 'I don't want to tell you much over the phone, but this is something that is very important that we need to talk about. I really need you right now.' Kenny's heart seemed to rise in his chest. 'He needs me?' Kenny asked in his mind.

Kenny's face must have turned incredibly red. He couldn't tell, but his face felt scalding hot. 'Well...uh...sure.' Kenny squeezed out. 'Great. Thank you Ken. I mean that, I'll see you soon, OK?' Kenny grinned. 'Y-Yeah...I'll see you soon...bye Stan.' Kenny ended the call with a tap of his thumb against his phone. There was a brief period of delayed reaction as Kenny sat dumbfounded on the carpet. His heart was racing with anticipation. The thought of Stan needing Kenny had warmed the blond's heart. 'I'm so glad...' Kenny thought. He gripped the front of his shirt. 'This could be it...'

Kenny stood up with wobbly legs. He slowly stepped back towards window sill where he had been seated moments ago. He zipped up his orange parka and tossed his hood over his head. Kenny gripped the ends of his hood strings and pulled them together. His hood closed around most of his face. He hopped on top of the window sill yet again and hung his legs outside. 'I can't believe I'm doing this...' He pushed himself out into the rainy night. His shoes hit the tall grass beneath him. The grass waved from the rainy winds. Kenny could already feel himself getting soaked. He took off in a sprint for Stan's house.

'I need you, too...'


	26. SM: Five Storms

_**Author's Note:** Ok, I've waited a LONG time to type this chapter out. This chapter marks the longest chapter to date (9.2k words). I hope you'll excuse the length, but the content should leave you excited and satisfied. This chapter was CRAZY to go over, re-do, re-edit, etc. Things are about to get so good, I hope you're all excited, because I'm excited!_

**_Author Shout out To..._**

_FanFiction user **DatLittleStar. **Thank you for being one of my earliest dedicated viewers. Your reviews make me smile! :)_

Chapter 26 – Five Storms

**POV: **Stan Marsh

'I know we'll see each other again, I know we will.'

Stan would never forget the words he uttered to Kyle so long ago...

'Stan, if I come back...would you be my boyfriend?'

And Kyle's question would remain in Stan's heart forever.

**...**

On the same rainy day, Stan was under a deep sleep.

He slept with a hand over his chest, his breathing was gentle and calm as he slipped into unconsciousness. Sleep was the only thing that offered Stan an escape from reality. It was often that his dreams would involve re-living past memories, Kyle was usually among them. His dreams of Kyle became more frequent with the passing days. It was in this other 'world' that Stan could express his innermost feelings, and re-live what had been good days for him. 'Your last few days here...I remember them well...I never forgot the time I spent with you...you made me love you, something I realized too late. I'm loyal to you, and I'll never abandon my promise.' Stan thought subconsciously. Stan's mind was full of darkness, until his subconscious began to develop a realistic dream, making him re-live his past memories.

In the blink of an eye, Stan found himself standing inside a familiar room. He recognized it as the school's computer lab. The light humming of the computers were the only sound Stan heard here. Stan's feet were pressed firmly against the carpet beneath him. He was staring down at his red poof ball hat, tinted slightly by the orange glow of the setting sun outside. Stan remembered the day from long ago, when him and Kyle had stayed after school together. Stan remembered him and Kyle had been assigned partners for an essay in Mr. Garrison's class. The two had decided to do a report on medieval times, and Kyle had wanted to stay after school so the two could have a longer weekend, meaning more time they could spend with one another. Kyle was so smart, Stan greatly admired his dedication to his schoolwork. 'We were just doing a report, but that day turned into much more. I remember my question to you...'

'Do you think I look better without my hat?' Stan asked bashfully. His face turned red with embarrassment, and he stared nervously down at his hat, held gently between his fingers. After a tense silence, Stan raised his head to meet the familiar green eyes of his long lost friend. The window blinds caused thin, shadowy stripes to form across Kyle's face. 'It's him, he's here again.' Stan's question had made Kyle's face blush red with surprise. Stan wasn't sure exactly why he had asked Kyle such a strange question, but he knew in the back of his mind he was slowly falling for him. Something in his heart changed towards Kyle that fateful day. 'And later that night I realized just how much I wanted you...'

The scene changed to that same dark, snowy evening. Stan and Kyle had fallen asleep together on Stan's leather couch. Stan could have sworn he felt Kyle's warm, gentle breath behind his head, and his warm body encompassing him as Stan was sleeping. Stan's eyes flicked open to the dark living room inside his home. He was lying across his couch, a bit dazed from just waking up. He suddenly felt the emptiness around him. His home was dead silent, and the snow fell outside in the dark night without even the slightest noise. Stan remembered the feeling of loneliness that overtook him when he had awoken to find Kyle gone. 'Kyle?' Stan asked through the dark house. Stan's family were out of town for that weekend, and Stan had been looking forward to an entire weekend with Kyle. This was the only time he hadn't spent with Kyle when the two were able to do so. It was also the first time he realized how much he wanted Kyle in his life. Stan felt a pang of sadness sitting in his dark, empty home without the presence of Kyle. Sparky was in the other room snoozing silently, but the pooch did little to satisfy what Stan wanted. He felt colder, and incomplete without Kyle around him. Stan hugged his arms across his chest, chilly. 'I miss his touch already...' he had thought at the time. Stan wished he could have remained in a deep sleep with Kyle forever, and drift into an eternal happiness with him. 'The next time we saw each other, we knew our feelings...'

Stan suddenly found himself standing shirtless in the school pool. The warm waters lapped around his upper body. just below his shoulders. The snowflakes fell outside, ominous and quiet. On this night, Kyle had surprised Stan by finding passage into the school. Kyle had guided Stan down into a secret hatch that led to the boiler room, and invited Stan to swim with him for the night. Stan would never forget the moment when they were in the dark locker room together, and Stan felt an odd sense of nervous anticipation. At the time, his heart was growing for Kyle, and he was secretly falling for him every passing second. The two had swam together in the smooth, soothing waters for nearly an hour. Stan felt this night was an iconic one in his life. It was their first and only night together before Stan knew Kyle was leaving. In front of Stan, Kyle was sobbing as the waters lapped around his neck. Red streaks from his tears lined his face, and his cheeks were red and hot.

'I can't go...' Kyle had choked out. Stan remembered how he had felt at Kyle's confession of leaving South Park to move far away. Stan felt as if his very life was being torn away from him. Seeing Kyle's tears, his red hair, and his wet body invited Stan to approach him, almost as if he was hypnotized by love. Stan's white palms rested against Kyle's smooth, clear shoulders. Stan looked down at Kyle's closed eyes, he couldn't bear the sight of his friend crying in front of him. 'Kyle...' Stan said. Kyle panted heavily and looked up at Stan with teary eyes, more streamed down his face. Stan knew in this instant that he had to let Kyle know the truth. Stan leaned his lips slowly towards Kyle. Stan felt Kyle's tender lips again, something he had wanted to feel again more than anything in the real world. The two boys closed their eyes, and melted into the moment together. Their wet faces, hot cheeks, tender lips, and gentle touch on one another was something that expressed their love for each other. Words didn't have to be spoken for the two to realize their mutual affection. Stan and Kyle fell underwater together, and shared a wet kiss. 'It wasn't long after that...that I saw you for the last time...' The worst part of Stan's dream was approaching. Re-living the final night with Kyle was were his dreams usually ended, just like him and Kyle's togetherness on that same, cold night.

In the blink of an eye Stan found himself in his snowy back yard with Kyle. They both stood behind Stan's swing set, where the two had shared so many experiences, memories, and stories with each other since their earliest days together. Stan and Kyle held hands and carved their symbolic promise onto the metal pole behind Stan's swing set. Stan and Kyle had carved a heart together into the pole, a white scratch seemed to glimmer slightly under the moonlight. 'We have to write 'Style.' Stan had said. In the waking world, a tear burst from under Stan's closed eyes. 'It was our silent promise to each other, that we would love each other, no matter where we ended up. We were split apart soon after that, and I still hold on to that promise to this day. I would never believe you'd betray me, I still trust you, even if you are seemingly dead and gone.'

Stan and Kyle seemed to teleport to the center of Stan's back yard. The snow fell around the two as they gazed into each others eyes. They were reading each others raw emotion. 'I was trying so hard not to cry. I knew I'd miss him so much...' Stan thought. Stan had forced a weak smile. 'Happy New Year, Kyle.' Kyle tilted his head, his green eyes shook with sadness. 'And Happy New Year to you, Stan...' The two shared a moment of silence, hoping the world would end, so long as they were together in the end. Stan and Kyle stepped towards each other. Stan threw his arms around Kyle's waist, and Kyle locked his hands behind Stan's neck. Stan could almost truly feel Kyle's warm body, his gentle touch, and his precious lips as they exchanged their final kiss. 'I promise I'll see you again...' Stan had promised silently as he worked with Kyle's lips. Stan and Kyle embraced tightly in the coldness. Their final day was so memorable, yet so depressing. They shared a long kiss, and exchanged tongues. Stan remembered the taste of wine on Kyle's tongue. They knew it would be the final time before they were separated. It was usually here that Stan's dream would end. However, in an instant, he suddenly found himself in a long forgotten memory.

Stan found himself standing on his small, wobbly legs. The cool autumn air made his black locks sway slightly in the wind. The orange glow of the setting sun brightened his face as he stared at a boy in front of him with a hard look. He was merely a first grader in this memory, yet he was confident in his abilities to be strong. The boy he stared at was someone he hadn't thought of in years, someone he dared not think about often. He couldn't remember his name, but the boy in front of him had a look of malice in his eyes. The school playground sat far behind the boy that stood in front of Stan, Stan's back was towards a brick wall, and his enemy stood in front of him with two walls on either side of him, waiting for an opportune moment to cut Stan off if he attempted to run. Stan was at a part of the school where students seldom went to, but he had known he would find Kyle here. The boy with dark eyes in front of him grinned smugly at Stan. Stan felt a small stream of blood trickle down from under his hair along the side of his face. Stan's cheek and arms were covered with multiple bruises, and his body stung in a few places from being scratched or cut. The boy in front of Stan stared at back at him with a hateful, smug look in his eyes. 'Who do you think you are?' he asked. 'You must think you're some big hero?'

Stan tried his best not to let his eyes water from the pain. He couldn't afford to cry here, not when he had to protect Kyle. Stan felt his young legs shaking in fear, but he did his best to stand strong and determined. Behind him, Kyle clutched a bloodied nose in his hand. 'Stan, why are you doing this? Don't fight for me.' Stan slowly approached the boy in front of him, who was watching him carefully. Stan gripped his aching shoulder with one hand as he stumbled forward. 'Stan.' Kyle's voice sounded weakly behind him. Stan turned his head back to Kyle. Stan smiled down at him, even though he was bloody, achy, and beaten. Kyle's eyes shined with fear and hope. He removed his hand from his bloody nose. 'Why? Why are you doing this for me?' Kyle squeaked out. 'Because...' Stan said. He clutched a fist in his other hand. 'You're my best friend, and always will be.' Stan's vision began to go dark as the world quickly became shrouded in black. The world quickly enveloped in darkness, and Stan was once again in the familiar, dark, and mysterious world. In front of Stan, colorful snowflakes fell around a swing set identical to the one in his backyard. It was barely illuminated in the darkness by two iron street lamps, their candles struggled to stay lit from the bitter cold winds. Stan jumped as a hand touched his shoulder. He swung himself around and met the green eyes of Kyle in front of him. Stan froze.

Kyle rested his mittened hand on Stan's cheek, which was red from the cold. Kyle's eyes were full of concern and worry. 'Stan, I'm here to warn you.' Stan reached up and grabbed Kyle's mittened hand in his own. He gripped Kyle's hand tightly. Stan lowered their hands down in front of them. 'Warn me about what?' Kyle gave Stan a serious, grim look. 'You're life is about to change, very soon. You may not realize it yet, but your decisions in the future are going to affect people more than you could ever imagine. I can't tell you everything, but you're going to soon be challenged in ways you could never have imagined. There are going to be five storms in time.' Stan tilted his head. 'Five storms? What are you talking about?' Kyle spoke slow and carefully. 'There are five storms, challenges that you will face in time. You need to know blood will be shed each storm, but it lies up to you and those around you to decide who's blood that will be. The first storm is going to challenge your determination. The second will challenge your strength. The third will challenge your love. For the fourth, your bonds with those around you will be tested. For the fifth, you'll face something that will change the destinies of everyone around you, as well as decide your own. I warn you, if you wish to do great things, you must survive each storm. You are one of the most important people, watch out for others, and everything will work out OK.'

Stan stared at Kyle with an incredibly confused look. 'What are you talking about?' Stan squeezed Kyle's hand a bit tighter. Kyle leaned forward and stopped his face just inches from Stan's. Stan's mouth quivered as Kyle's warm breath blew against his lower lip. 'I'm surprised you haven't discovered something yet.' Kyle said, amused. 'What?' Stan asked with curiosity. Kyle leaned in even closer towards Stan's lips. Kyle's lips moved, just a mere fraction apart from Stan's. 'Someone in your life is closer to you than you think.' Stan tilted his head. He believed Kyle, but was unsure of what everything was about. 'Kyle, I'm not understanding. Kyle's eyes changed into a sympathetic stare. 'You will in time. I have one more thing to show you.'

Stan couldn't resist Kyle's lips any longer. He had to touch Kyle's lips again before he dissapeared. All of the light in this world vanished in an instant, and Stan moved his face forward into cold nothingness. Kyle had vanished into thin air, Stan no longer felt his grip around Kyle's palm. 'Kyle?' Stan asked in a worried panic. 'Oh no...' he thought worriedly. 'Kyle? Where are you?' His panic overtook him, and he screamed for his friend. 'Kyle?!' Stan suddenly no longer felt the bitter cold winds eat at him. His body slowly warmed, and he felt a strange world open up before him. In the darkness, Stan could tell the surface under his feet seemed to change into something softer, like thick carpet. Above his head, thin white lights shone through some holes in the ceiling above Stan. There were gaps of black above his head between the dim lights. The ceiling appeared to be destroyed by some heavy, brute force. Stan moved his feet slightly underneath him, and he felt himself kick something hard, like a rock. Whatever it was, it didn't budge. Abruptly, the dim white lights seemed to get just a shade brighter. The light slowly illuminated the room in a thin layer of faint light. Stan slowly made out the details of the room he was in.

Beneath his feet, Stan was standing on a thin, long stretch of carpet. The middle of the carpet was a dark blue color, and yellow strips formed along the edges. From where he was standing, Stan looked straight ahead to find a large gap at the end of the carpet. He realized it was in the shape of large doorway. The doorway was wide, and it rose up nearly half-way to the ceiling. It formed a pointy end at its top, high above the floor. Through the empty doorway, Stan stared out into a city seemingly torn apart. Smoke rose from destroyed brick buildings, and this room was certainly damaged as well. Rocks and debris lay strewn all over the room. 'It's as if a giant war just happened.' This was the first time Stan had ever been in this world. It was unfamiliar. While dark, the lifelessness of it all seemed to make Stan unafraid of venturing through it. Stan saw several marble columns rise in the large room. Several balconies were in place among the upper floors. 'It's an audience chamber.' Stan figured from the fancy designs. Stan stared at the carpet underneath him, and slowly turned around, trying to see what lie at the other end. His eyes remained the same size, yet his mind filled with curiosity as he followed the carpet with his eyes. As his eyes trailed the carpet along the floor, Stan noticed it was torn, and fallen ash was littered over it, covering it in sticky blackness. The carpet stopped at the base of several marble stairs. Stan figured there were about thirty steps rising high up onto a large platform. Centered atop the stairs near the back wall, a beautiful throne sat unoccupied. Beautiful stained glass windows high on the back wall were illuminating dim light. Various colors of all sorts shined in a circle at the base of the throne.

Stan trekked carefully along the carpet towards the beautiful throne in curiosity. Its armrests were golden, but some fallen ash covered it, covering bits of the beautiful metal with darkness. It's cushion and backrest were a deep, dark blue color. The throne still remained in perfect condition, regardless of the bits of ash that covered it. There were no scratches, tears, or pieces missing from it. 'It's beautiful...' Stan thought. He walked past several stones and debris along his way. He eyed the throne with curiosity.

Stan paused at the bottom of the steps, and gazed up at the throne. He ascended the stairs slowly. His shoes echoed loudly throughout the dead silent world. His eyes were fixated on the beautiful sight in front of him. Suddenly, the beautiful multicolored snowflakes fell around the throne, the same ones Stan had seen in the other, darker world. Stan stepped up onto the large platform. The throne was just a few yards in front of him. Stan seemed to move as slowly as possible as he approached it. Something about this world was filling him with wonder.

With every step Stan felt a strong feeling of anticipation wash over him, as if he'd expected to be here. The throne seemed to silently beckon him, inviting him to approach and sit upon it. Stan stopped just in front of the beautiful chair. He slowly extended a hand over the golden arm rest. The snow falling around the chair was so beautiful. For some reason, its beauty made Stan re-consider touching it. He didn't want to taint its beauty. He pulled his hand back and gazed at it in wonder. 'I can't touch it.' he thought. 'It's too beautiful.' Stan glanced at it one last time and turned his back. Stan walked back towards the steps, and descended them slowly. He looked through the large gap at the other end of the room out into the destroyed city. 'What is this all about?' Stan was curious, yet greatly confused of everything that had happened recently. He had usually never journeyed to another strange place when he dreamed of Kyle, not even the distantly familiar world of darkness. Tonight was an exception for Stan's dreams. It was certainly an unusual experience, but Stan was absorbing everything he had witnessed. 'Is Kyle telling me something?' he wondered.

Stan's feet padded across the carpet again. He walked along it towards the doorway. The destroyed city again filled his eyes. It was strange. While the world was destroyed, it was oddly beautiful in a way. It's silence made it seem lifeless and preserved. Stan wanted to explore this world some more, to find answers, perhaps even Kyle. Stan tried to remember every detail in the room as he padded along. He eventually stepped through the pointed doorway and out into the ruined city.

Around Stan, countless brick buildings were badly damaged, or obliterated with nothing left but rocks. Dark, black smoke rose out of some. The city smelled like blood, yet there were no people here. Stan saw behind several buildings in front of him. A large clock stood untainted high in the sky. There were no bricks missing, or smoke coming from it. It was the only piece of architecture that still remained intact. It was a beautiful sight among all this damage and destruction. Stan stepped across the cobblestone courtyard towards it. There seemed to be no street that led directly to the tower. Stan squeezed between two tall brick buildings and trekked down a dirty alleyway. Bricks from the surface below were missing in some places. Large cracks spread across some of the stones. Stan gazed up at the destroyed buildings on either side of him as he pressed for the tower. 'What happened here?'

The cobblestone streets were deserted as Stan took several minutes travelling through them. There seemed to be no 'real' light in this city. Only the dim, gray, lifeless sky enveloped this city. There was no sun, and no moon, only a dim gray sky to light the way. Stan walked through the streets alone. He wished he had Kyle with him at this moment. Perhaps Kyle would know where to go. Stan squeezed down several alleys in an attempt to reach the clock tower. Little by little, he neared it. Stan finally squeezed between two three story buildings. He passed a dumpster covered in black ash and a tipped over trashcan with litter strewn all over. Stan saw the clock tower directly ahead of him from the narrow alleyway. At the base of the tower there were beautifully painted stained glass windows sitting atop large, wooden doors. Everything about the clock tower was in perfect condition, everything else was in ruins. 'Why only here?' Stan wondered.

Stan protruded from the alleyway and analyzed his surroundings. The clock tower was situated in the middle of a giant, rounded cobblestone courtyard. Several multi-sized buildings sat around the clock tower in a large circle. It was strange though, none of the buildings had windows on them from this side. It was as if no one had ever wanted a nice view of the clock tower. Only plain brick walls of multiple sizes sat around the tower. The large clock overhead clunked as its big hand thumped over to the next minute. Stan read the clock as 11:55. 'Is it morning, or night?' Stan wasn't sure on the answer. This world was very disorienting, and gave no hint of anything real.

Stan gazed upwards at the clock tower. 'Is this a vision, maybe a warning? Is this something Kyle is trying to show me?' Stan wondered. Stan's eyes fixated on the double doors at the base of the large tower. He walked across the lifeless courtyard. His shoes lightly clopped against the stone beneath him. He arrived at the doors and stood under the tower for a moment. He raised his head and looked straight up past the countless bricks. The tower loomed dimly over his head, it made Stan a little dizzy looking at it. He pushed the doors open and stepped into the tower.

The bottom floor was nothing but bricks stacked together to form large walls that rose as high up as Stan could see. In the center of the ceiling, a large brass bell hung high above. Staircases formed along the edges of the wall, rising up in a square pattern. Black handrails were planted in the marble steps for protection. Stan headed for the base of the steps and grabbed the cool rail in his hand. He slowly ascended upwards into the heights of the tower. His legs soon became tired from all the walking. He panted as he neared the top.

High above him as he walked, the tower bell suddenly let out a loud dong. Its vibrating sound made the whole tower rumble slightly. As he rose high into the tower, the bell continued to slowly toll up to twelve chimes. By the time Stan had reached the top, the bell had finally stopped tolling. A narrow stone thresh hold led out to the high edges of the tower. A strip of bricks was sat underneath the enormous clock in a square pattern. Stan stepped cautiously to the edge of the walkway. A light, cool breeze came through the city. Stan's locks blew in the wind. For as far as he could see, there was nothing but destruction across the city. Far in the distance, plains and mountains seemed to be dark and lifeless. All the nature had seemed to vanish, too, Stan realized. It was an incredible view from high up. Even through all the destruction, the world had a strange prettiness about it.

Stan walked carefully along the high ledge, he wanted to see the other side of the tower, and what lie beyond it. Stan carefully picked his away around the square walkway. He stayed close to the wall, he had always been a bit fearful of heights. The moment he approached the back ledge of the tower, Stan could see gray waters far in front of him. As far as he could see, the dim, calm waters stretched across far into the distance as far as he could see. Behind the few stone buildings on this side of the tower, the ground had tilted downwards towards a large harbor. Smaller ships and boats bobbed near the docks. Far in the distance, Stan saw wooden ships that riddled with holes. Some ships had their sails were ripped, and were collapsed sideways on the water. Other ships were clearly broken in half and lie among the shallow water. Smoke rose from what must have been nearly five hundred ships, spread all across the enormous body of water. It was a large graveyard for the broken ships. The bell chimed loudly behind Stan once more. His heart froze at the sound of footsteps that came immediately after the sound stopped.

Stan's heart seemed to freeze as he heard the light clopping of footsteps coming along the edge of the tower. Stan was filled with nervousness and fear, until he had heard the first sound of another thing, he was unafraid. The ominous noise chilled him to the bone, making Stan paralyzed in fear. He couldn't move, no matter how much he told himself he should, or he had to. Stan badly wanted to scream and run away, he felt as if death itself was approaching. He sighed in relief as he saw Kyle step out into view at the corner. Kyle eyed Stan with a plain, distant look. Kyle slowly set a pace for Stan. As his Jewish friend walked, red liquid welled at his eyes, and erupted. The dark blood streamed down his face. Stan once again became frozen in fear.

As Kyle walked, the droplets dripped onto the stone beneath his feet, painting them a disturbing red color. Stan wanted to ensure Kyle was OK, yet the look in his eyes made him to frightened to speak. Stan felt as if this wasn't the 'real' Kyle standing in front of him. Kyle stopped a few feet in front of Stan and turned his body towards the ocean. 'I still love you.' Stan thought. Stan wanted to speak his thoughts, but his lips wouldn't move. Stan tried saying Kyle's name, but he just couldn't find the courage to speak. Kyle turned back to Stan. 'You may not realize it, but you may cause a storm yourself.' Kyle reached both of his hands up to his cheeks and tapped his fingertips of his index fingers against the streaming blood. Kyle turned towards Stan and took a few steps towards him. Kyle slowly reached his bloody fingers towards both sides of Stan's face. Stan wanted to scream as Kyle touched his cheeks with a finger on each side. Kyle smeared a small streak of red blood aross Stan's cheeks. 'Your legend will begin soon, it's up to you to see who's blood falls.' Kyle stepped to the edge of the stone pathway, and spread his arms far across him. Stan gazed down at the enormous drop to the hard ground in horror. 'Try and be free.' Kyle said. Stan watched in utter horror as Kyle leaned forward and fell through the air towards the ground. Stan tried to scream for Kyle. 'Come on...say his name...Kyle...Kyle...' Stan tried working his thoughts to bring himself energy. He felt his deepest willpower, and felt energy slowly rise in his chest. Kyle's body neared the ground, approaching sure death. 'Kyle!' Stan yelled, but it was too later. His friend slammed into the hard ground. His green hat lay beside him. A blood puddle welled underneath his body and red hair. Stan felt his body move again. He dropped to his knees, and peered over the edge in shock. Kyle was dead. Every horrible thing Stan had ever witnessed in his life didn't compare to the sight of this. Stan lost his mind, and screamed.

'Kyle!' Stan bolted upright in his bed. He held his soft Terrance and Phillip bed covers near his chest. His heart pounded hard against his rib cage, and his face was moist with sweat and burning hot. Stan panted heavily from the shock. He tried his best to catch his breath. He breathed slowly through his nostrils, trying to slow his heartbeat. 'It's just a dream...' Stan tried to tell himself. He let his bed covers drop and held his hands above his lap. He massaged his palms gently as he tried to catch his breath. 'Just a dream...Just a dream...' He forced himself to breath slowly. His body slowly became filled with fresh air. In a few minutes, his heartbeat had slowed down significantly. Stan sighed heavily, relieved he was no longer fearful or anxious.

Stan's deep blue eyes scanned his dark bedroom. The rain outside pattered against his bedroom window relentlessly. Drops formed against the glass, and trickled down slowly. Stan watched the drops form together, and race faster down the window. The droplets eventually dissapeared, only to be replaced by more raindrops. It reminded Stan of his life. Long ago, he had been with Kyle, but after his best friend left, people continued to live on, without Kyle. South Park was still filled with life: the world hadn't stopped, and people still breathed and smiled, and truly enjoyed themselves. 'I miss him...' Stan thought sadly. He had been plagued by nightmares and memories of Kyle every night for the past few weeks. It wasn't rare for Stan to wake up in sadness or fright from his frequent dreams. Stan felt lonely sitting in his bedroom alone, it reminded him of the night him and Kyle had fallen asleep together. Stan's parents and sister had left for the weekend to go on a hike outside of town. Stan wondered if the rain would reach them, too. 'I wonder if Kyle is having rain, too...' Stan trailed off into a deep silence. He gazed over at his alarm clock, sitting in front of his lamp atop his nightstand. The digital red letters read '5:37 P.M' across the screen. Stan pinched his nose in frustration. 'Great, now I'll have trouble sleeping tonight.' Stan didn't even feel refreshed from his brief sleep, he figured he should try to wake up a bit.

'Maybe I could go out for a bit...I'm sure the rain would wake me up.' Stan was already in the same clothes he had gone to bed in earlier this morning. His jeans and light blue T-shirt had became his new pajamas. Stan typically didn't know when he would be able to sleep. If he was tired, he normally wouldn't trouble himself to change into other clothes, so long as he could savor the memories of Kyle. Most of the time he would just collapse onto his bed without another thought. He had been up all night and most of this morning, he couldn't sleep from his growing worry of Kyle. His exhaustion had slowly caught up to him, and Stan had drifted into a short, deep sleep. Now he was awake, yet he still felt groggy.

Stan flung his covers across the bed, exposing his feet, still wrapped in warm, white socks. He swung his feet to the edge of his bed and sat against the soft mattress. He rested his elbows on his knees, and brought his head down to his hands. He wiped his moist hands along his face, trying to get his blood flowing. Stan slapped his hands against his knees, and pushed against his feet to stand up. He rose and stretched his arms high above his head. He twisted his body, trying to loosen his muscles. Stan huffed and walked out of his bedroom into the hallway. He soon trotted down the wooden stairs and arrived at the front door. The house was filled with the rhythmic sound of the rain falling overhead. Stan approached his shoes and stuffed his feet inside them, slowly working them on. He knelt down to tie them securely. Stan stood back up and grabbed his brown jacket from the nearby coat rack, and swung it around his shoulders. He opened the door into the rainy night, and stepped outside into the chill, late afternoon shower. The cold rain started splattering against his face, and soaked his clothes. Stan stuffed his hands in his pockets and trudged out into the rain.

Stan wandered aimlessly for what he felt was a long time. He allowed the rain to soak his body, uncaring of anything else. His mind was so fixated on Kyle and the bad dream he had experienced moments ago. 'That was so weird.' Stan thought. 'My mind sure has a strange imagination.' Stan had to admit, his mind had changed a bit since Kyle had left. He was slightly depressed, he felt his best friend was neglecting him, yet Stan still hoped every day for his return. He wanted to ask Kyle how his new home was, how the food was, anything to catch up with him, and have everything return to normal again. 'Who knows if that'll ever happen...' his hope was slowly fading with every passing day. 'It's like he's dead and gone...' Stan shuddered at the thought of Kyle dead in his dream. 'I'm sure he's alive and well.' Stan thought, though in the back of his mind his worry grew rapidly.

Stan had kept his promise to stay loyal and loving to Kyle. He hadn't allowed his heart to open up to anyone else. Stan had to admit, he was very grateful for Kenny's effort. Perhaps if Stan received some sort of closure, Kenny could stop troubling himself to make Stan happy. Kenny had shown Stan a constant, loyal friendship even though he was around Kyle much more in the earlier years. Kenny had been someone Stan could talk to and be around, he helped him forget the pain of Kyle's absence. 'I could never thank him enough...' Stan thought. 'He deserves love, I know he'll find it some day.'

The rain did little to make Stan feel more energetic. If anything, the cold wetness had tired him even more. His depressed thoughts were weighing him down, they had been. Stan hadn't been as energized lately, and his mind seemed dull and lazy quite often. 'I hate feeling this way.' It was true, Stan wished he could feel better than he was at this very moment, he knew he wasn't happy. He stared down at the sidewalk as he continued walking. Small puddles formed among the concrete. Sound waves echoed across them. Stan had hoped the rain would distract his mind and body, but his recent dream kept returning to him. 'I can't get him out of my head.' Stan knew he'd never forget Kyle, no matter what.

Stan gazed up and saw someone with a dark blue hat walking towards him, down the sidewalk in the rain. Stan lowered his head in sadness. 'It's not Kyle...' he thought, perhaps a bit bitterly. Stan pushed his hands further into his pockets and pushed himself forward. He didn't bother to examine who it was he was nearing. 'I miss Kyle...every day, so much...' Stan had passed by Craig, unknown to him. A flash of lightning lit up as the two passed each other, Stan's eyes watered, and a tear streamed down his face. 'Why can't I enjoy the rain with you?' Stan thought. Behind him, Craig cried too.

…

Stan had arrived back home what seemed to him like an half an hour later. He stepped through his front door back into his house. His clothes were dripping from the moisture that clung to him like a wet towel. Stan closed the door behind him, shutting off the cold winds from entering. Stan stared across his house. His blue eyes saw through glass slider door in his kitchen. On the other side, in Stan's backyard, the swing set that had appeared in his dreams sat out in the unforgiving rain. The wind lightly made one of the seats sway, making the metal chain creak slightly. Rain splattered against the shining metal and trailed down it. Stan marched across the house in his soaked shoes into the kitchen. He unlocked the slider door, and slid it open. He stepped out into the cool air and once again became pelted with heavy rain.

Stan approached the swing set. He extended a hand to one of the metal poles stabbed into the ground. He ran a bare hand over its cool metal surface. Stan walked past the side of the swing to the back-left pole, and eyed the shining metal. His eyes locked on the familiar, unforgettable symbol of his past. Just where he and Kyle had carved so long ago, white scratches formed the shape of a heart, etched firmly into the metal. In the middle of the heart, the word 'Style' was carved across it. 'This was where I last held your hands.' Stan felt strange from staring at it. So many memories came from his backyard. Stan and Kyle used to swing together since their earliest days. The carved heart was one of the last thing Stan and Kyle had ever done together. Stan reached out a wet hand and placed his palm over the heart. He stood there silently, digesting the moment. Stan was trying to absorb something Kyle had touched before. 'Will we ever carve another?.' Stan lifted his hand off the pole tiredly and headed back for his house. 'I need to shower...' he was glad when he stepped back into the warm shelter of his home.

Stan kicked off his shoes at the front door and forced himself upstairs in his soaking clothes. He gathered some warm, soft pajamas from his dresser and padded into his bathroom. The tile was slippery and cool against his wet feet. Stan locked the door behind him and knelt down to the wooden cabinet underneath his sink. Stan pulled the wooden door open with the smallest creak and placed his clothes inside. Next to his clothes, dry, fuzzy towels were stacked neatly. Stan grabbed one and tossed it near the base of the shower. He began stripping down. He removed his shirt, and stared in the mirror for a moment at his blue eyes. Stan bit his bottom lip. He wasn't sure what to think of his sad blue eyes, he only wished they would change to how they once were.

The warm water of the shower felt wonderful against Stan's body. All of the aching from the cold wetness was soothed away, and the heat did wonders to make him feel more awake. Steam rose from the hot water, and drifted throughout the bathroom. Stan's thoughts wandered as he melted into the warm water. He wished he could become wet with Kyle again. Stan grinned at the thought of their young, naked bodies. When the two were very young, they used to bathe together. Stan would never forget the small fun they had just from splashing around in the water together. Stan chuckled a bit. 'Even then, we did everything together...'

Before long Stan ceased the steaming water and flung open the shower curtain. He stepped out of the shower onto a smooth rubber bathmat. Next to it, the fuzzy dark blue towel lie, waiting to be used. Stan reached down and groped it. He flung it out, and began rubbing down his body. He was so glad to feel clean again. When he had dried off, he slipped back into his clothes and returned to the darkness in his room. The sky outside seemed to have darkened even more so than before.

Stan reached the side of his bed. He huffed and collapsed on top of it and pulled a pillow towards him. He held it tightly against his chest, and stared at the empty space next to him. 'I wish I could share again.' Stan thought. He thought about how Wendy had dumped him a very long time ago. Wendy had told Stan to tell everyone their agreement to end their relationship was mutual. Stan had agreed, because he wanted to still see her happy. Yet Wendy hadn't even gave Stan an exact reason for leaving him, Stan was still in wonder as to why she no longer loved him to do this day. He had deeply loved her once, but that soon changed when she betrayed him. Stan had opened up his heart to Kyle instead, because of his kindness and honesty. Kyle was gone now too, though. Stan's heart just wasn't being fulfilled with the love he wanted. He wondered if he would ever be in love again, and if his life would even involve Kyle in it.

'All the Broflovski's seemed to just vanish.' Stan thought. 'My parents and none of Kyle's other friends heard from him or his family. Not me, not Kenny...not Cartman...' Stan paused to re-think of the past. He rolled over to the opposite side of the bed. He eyed his nightstand, where the alarm clock was still lit up on top of it. 'Times have changed...' Stan thought. He scooted over to the edge of the bed and sat up. He pulled out the drawer of his nightstand and rummaged through it. Stan couldn't see well, so he quickly turned on the small lamp just above the nightstand. Light shined brightly throughout a small part of his room. Stan finally found what he was looking for: an old picture from long ago. Stan pulled out a wooden picture frame and flipped it over. He held the familiar image between his knees. Nostalgia filled his mind as he remembered the day the picture was taken.

The picture shown the four boys in their original group. The four boys were only in kindergarten at the time. They sat on top of a wooden bench, the one at Stark's pond, with their arms extended around each other. From the left of the bench Cartman had an arm around Kyle's neck in a headlock. Cartman had giggled the moment that picture was taken. Kyle gave a big smile under his arms. Next to Kyle, Stan had another arm around Kyle's back, and was leaning into his friend. Kenny sat next to Stan, and hugged his arm tightly. Kenny's legs extended across the laps of Stan and Kyle. The blond appeared to be laughing hysterically. Stan grinned. 'Same old Kenny, so excited.'

Stan saw the little ice skates on everyone's feet. The day this picture was taken, they had all gone skating together for the first time. The four experienced a first in their lives, together as best friends. Stan would never forget the bond they had all shared with each other. 'I wish things were like that today...' Everyone in the group seemed to have distanced themselves a bit. Stan and Kenny were the only members of the group that still hung out together, but it still wasn't the same. The original four just had a unique chemistry with each other.

Stan traced a finger along Kyle's young body. Stan's eyes fixed on his Jewish friend's smile. 'He was so happy...' Stan thought. He darted his eyes to his younger self, smiling brightly in the sunshine. 'I was happier, too...' Stan thought with a pang of sadness. Stan remembered Sheila had taken the same photograph. He missed all of the Broflovski's, too.

Stan missed Sheila and her Jersey accent. She had been a strict woman, but still loved Stan like another son. Gerald was a hard working man, Stan hadn't seen him as much, but he knew he was always kind to Stan when he would see him. Gerald was very smart, too. That was something that shined as a trait in Kyle. Gerald would tell Stan all sorts of interesting facts, sometimes to Stan's boredom. However, Gerald certainly did know some interesting things, he was a clever man. Stan even missed young Ike, the squeaky voiced Canadian 'brother' of Kyle's. Stan wanted them all back in his life, maybe he could feel more complete if they were to return.

'I worry about you day and night. I think about you all day, every day. I don't know if you're even alive, it seems so strange you'd never want to talk to me again. I just wish I had some answers...I want nothing more than to live a happy life, but I feel I need to know the truth. I want to know where you are, what you are doing, and if you still love me. I know I've kept my promise. I've remained true to you, and I trust you with all of my heart. I wish you were with me now, and we were all together again...even just as good friends...' Stan eyed each of the faces on the picture. He looked once more at his smiling face, then glanced back at Kyle. 'I know you told me where you lived, I wrote letters every day, but never received anything back. I never received a post card, an e-mail, a phone call...absolutely nothing from you...Kyle, I want to know where you are. I want to know you're safe...you're alive...and you're still mine...'

Stan became more self conscious of his aching heart beat. His heart felt like it had slowly been dying from the constant reminder of Kyle's absence. 'We were together before...and we made a promise...' Stan trusted Kyle, he knew he would try his best to reach Stan. 'I wanted to ask you so many things...to know about you...and to find out the truth...' Stan's eyes widened.

'The truth...'

There was an indescribable emotion that ran through Stan. 'The truth...' Stan wanted nothing more than to know Kyle was OK. He wanted answers, closure, and the truth about everything. Stan was ready to move on to a future where he knew where his love should be. 'I want to be happy, and to do that...' Stan pulled out the rest for the picture from and sat it gently on the nightstand. 'Maybe I'll send him another letter...' Stan thought. Stan hopped off his bed. He was about to head for his desk and write a long letter to Kyle, but he froze, and found himself staring back at him and Kyle's smiling faces on the picture. Stan felt a new energy rise inside of him.

'I'm tired of waiting. I'm going to find the answers myself.'

Stan then eyed his alarm clock, the red letters read '6:48 P.M.' Stan gasped. 'There's still time!'

Stan bolted over to his dresser and pulled out the drawers. He grabbed some fresh clothes and ran into his bathroom and quickly stripped off his pajamas. He worked his way into a dry pair of jeans and a gray shirt. 'I need to hurry.' he thought with urgency. Stan darted out of the bathroom and over to his bedroom closet. He thrust open his door and saw his school backpack sitting against the floor. Stan groped it quickly and dashed back to his dresser. He pulled out his drawers and began stuffing all of his clothes inside. Stan knelt down and pressed the clothes firmly into his backpack. Stan dashed for his nightstand and grabbed his cell phone. His thumb rapidly tapped in the numbers of Kenny's phone number. Stan pulled the phone up to his ear and jogged over to his desk. He pulled out a drawer and plucked out a piece of plain white paper. The phone rang as Stan struggled for a pen. Kenny's voice sounded on the phone as Stan scribbled onto the paper. 'Hello?'

'Hey Ken, it's Stan.' Kenny was silent for a moment. 'Oh, hey S-Stan. What's up?' Stan concentrated on his letter, then realized he had left Kenny in silence for a moment. Stan sighed. 'Look, I know it's raining, but I need to talk to you about something really, really important.' There was a short pause. 'Do you want me to come over?' Kenny asked shyly. 'Yes, I do. I don't want to tell you much over the phone but this is something that is very important that we need to talk about. I really need you right now.' Stan crunched his eyes. 'Please Kenny...please come over.' Stan wished.

There was a brief, tense silence. Stan almost asked for Kenny by name to make sure he was still on the phone. Kenny interrupted before Stan could speak again. 'Well...uh...sure...' Kenny squeaked out. 'Great. Thank you Ken. I mean that, I'll see you soon, OK?' Stan raised an eyebrow, hoping his friend would confirm with him. Stan's heart raced faster at Kenny's answer. 'Y-Yeah...I'll see you soon...bye Stan.' The phone disconnected. Stan stuffed the phone in his pocket and continued scribbling onto the paper. He planted his hands on the desk and read it quickly.

'Mom, Dad, and Shelly. I know this may come as a bit of a shock, but I'll be away for what might be a long time. I'm not sure if it will be days, weeks, or even a month, possibly even more. A good friend of mine may be in trouble, and I need to make sure he's OK. I wanted to let you all know I am perfectly fine, I'm just concerned for my friends safety. Mom and Dad, I'll accept whatever punishment you decide to give me when I return, but I need to find out answers. I can't be happy unless I know the truth about things.' Stan scribbled 'Signed...' at the bottom of his letter. He scribbled his name across the paper. 'OK, do I need anything else?' Stan thought.

'Oh yes! How could I forget?' Stan flung his backpack over his shoulders and ran into his bathroom. He quickly stuffed his toiletries into the front pocket of his backpack. 'OK, what else? Right!' his mind flashed with what he needed. He dashed back into his bedroom to his nightstand. He rummaged through the door again. He finally found a lime green envelope. 'Here it is.' Stan thought. 'Kyle's address is inside. He told me he lives in Stockholm, Sweden. I know how to get there. We're going to be together again, me, Kyle, Kenny, and Cartman...Wait, Cartman!' Stan thought. Stan pulled his cell phone back out and found Cartman's phone number. The phone rang as Stan sat on the bed, his leg shook rapidly up and down in impatience. 'Come on Cartman, pick up, please...'

Stan heard Cartman's mischievous voice speak. 'Hello?' 'Cartman!' Stan said happily. 'Who's this?' Cartman asked. 'It's Stan. Listen to me Eric, there's something really important I need to talk to you about. Stay at your house, Kenny and I are coming over.' Cartman coughed lightly. 'You sure you want to do that? My mom isn't feeling too good.' Stan understood. 'We just need to get you out of the house for awhile.' Stan said. 'What?' Cartman asked. 'Just stay put.' Stan instructed him. Stan tapped his phone and ended the conversation with Cartman. Rapid knocks sounded on the door. 'It's Kenny!' he realized.

Stan ran out of his bedroom with his backpack and dashed down the stairs. He flung the door open to a soaked Kenny McCormick. Kenny pulled his hood back after he stepped into Stan's dark home. 'Hi, Stan.' Kenny said sweetly. He shook his head, sending water droplets flying everywhere. Kenny eyed Stan, who was panting from tiredness. 'Are you OK?' the blond asked in concern. Stan nodded, trying to catch his breath. 'I'm fine.' he breathed out.

Stan placed a hand against the wall, trying to catch his breath. 'Kenny, I needed to talk to you about something important.' Kenny looked at the ground nervously. 'Oh, what about?' he asked quietly. Stan placed his hands on Kenny's shoulders. Kenny looked into Stan's pupils. Their blue eyes danced with unknown emotion.

'I'm leaving South Park to find Kyle, I need your help.'


	27. KM: Breathless

_**Author's Note: **Long time no update! I'm so sorry for the long break between my previous update. I recently moved into University housing and started my education. It's very intense, I've been going to school nearly 9 hours a day (no joke!). But during my break time, I worked hard to crunch in some FanFiction time! This fiction is getting to be SO interesting right now. I'm even excited to see the fine details of what will happen. I really hope you all enjoy the next chapter in this installment!  
_

PLEASE CONSIDER LEAVING A REVIEW!

**_Author Shout-Out To:_**

_My good friend BairDog45, for being a great peer reviewer! Thank you for motivating me to keep typing!_

Chapter 27 – Breathless

**POV: **Kenny McCormick

Words couldn't describe how Kenny McCormick felt at this very moment.

Kenny held his breath as he digested Stan's question. Kenny had felt so sure that Stan was going to say something along the lines of 'I have feelings for you' or "I think I like you," but everything he had wished had turned out to be quite the opposite of what he wanted. Everything Kenny had waited for, and everything he had tried to do for Stan had made him so sure Stan would appreciate him enough to love him. Kenny felt as if he had been punched hard in the gut from Stan's question. His body instantly became burdened with emotional pain. Kenny suddenly felt achy, tired, and he felt a lump form in the back of his throat.

In front of him, Stan extended his arms and clasped his hands on top of Kenny's wet parka, just above his shoulders. Stan's eyes burned with energy. Kenny hadn't seen a look like this in his eyes for a long time. "His eyes looked like that sometimes when he and Kyle did things together." Kenny remembered the several challenges Stan and Kyle had encountered together through their childhood. Whether it was studying for a test, or trying new things, Stan and Kyle had done so much together. The look in Stan's eyes was something Kenny recognized instantly. It was no secret Kyle was giving Stan the energy and happiness Kenny felt he could never give to him.

"I can't believe this..." Kenny thought sadly. "After all this time..." Kenny's thoughts were racing rapidly. He couldn't calm his mind to think reasonably. He wasn't sure if he should feel angered, betrayed, sad, or perhaps even happy for Stan. Stan had just asked Kenny to go and find Kyle in Sweden. Kenny would have never guessed that Stan would ask such a thing. Stan had held his hand a few nights ago, making Kenny develop the smallest glimmer of hope that Stan would truly be his. Kenny suddenly felt Stan grip his shoulders slightly harder. "Kenny..." Stan started. Kenny released the breath he had been holding inside.

"Are you OK?" Stan asked. Kenny saw genuine look of concern in his blue eyes. Kenny's lips shook slightly, he wasn't sure what to say. "I…" Kenny choked on his words. There was an awkward, tense silence. The only sound Kenny heard in the moment was the heavy rain slamming against the roof. The lump in Kenny's throat began to ache more intensely. He fought hard to hold in his emotions. Kenny looked down at the wooden floor beneath him, avoiding Stan's eyes. "Stan…" Kenny closed his eyes as he said his crush's name. Time seemed to freeze, making Kenny feel as if it would be an eternity before he could speak again.

Kenny had tried so hard to make Stan happy again. "I've tried…" Kenny pictured Stan smiling on the day summer break started. Kenny remembered how him and Stan had ran around the school yard, tossing water balloons. Kenny was so glad to be carefree. Seeing Stan smile, even in the slightest on that day, warmed Kenny inside. "And I never gave up…" Kenny remembered the night him and Stan had watched the fireworks together. Kenny flexed his hand, he could remember Stan's warm fingers interlocking with his. "He's holding on to Kyle...even after all this time..." Kenny wasn't sure if he should admire Stan's devotion, or feel bitter about it. Kenny felt a mix of anger and sadness stir inside of him. The blond raised his head once more and focused his eyes on Stan's blue eyes, dancing with emotion. 'Stan...are you serious about leaving?' Kenny asked, even though he was sure of the answer. Stan nodded. "Yes.' he said. "I want you to come with me."

"Right..." Kenny said. Kenny avoided Stan's gaze yet again. Stan shook Kenny slightly. "Listen Kenny, I need to know whether or not you really want to go. I can't explain as much here, because I'm running out of time…but know this: I want us all to be together again. I want you, me, Kyle, and even Cartman to share what we once had again. This is one of the biggest favors I could ever ask of you in my entire life…I just…' Stan lowered his head to the floor. 'I want to be happy again…"

Those words hit Kenny's heart like a bullet. The difficult choice also made him feel like his shoulders were carrying heavy weights. Kenny knew he had the opportunity to do something great for Stan. "If I help him…I might just play a factor in his life. If he can really be happy again…" Kenny felt his eyes water from the pain of reality. This was one of the hardest decisions in his life, and he had to make it soon.

Kenny tried weighing the options carefully. He knew that if he helped Stan, and the two followed through together and found Kyle again, it would definitely be a fact there would be the possibility, a very likely one, that the Stan and Kyle would love each other again. If Kenny denied Stan this opportunity, Stan may be able to cope with reality, and perhaps in turn love Kenny. "I'd be so selfish though…" Kenny thought.

"I hold the key to helping him be happy again…" Kenny had remained loyal to Kyle, and had kept his love for Stan a secret. Kenny watched after Stan, and tried his best to make him happy, just like Kyle had once done. Kenny assumed that Stan and Kyle's bond would just be something he could never understand. Kenny had to admit, his feelings for Stan were growing every day. He wondered if his actions had indirectly led Stan to come up with this crazy idea. Perhaps Kenny's attempts of trying to make Stan enjoy life more just reminded Stan more of Kyle's notable absence.

Stan raised his head back up towards Kenny. Tears burst out of his blue eyes. Stan quickly pulled his arms towards himself and wiped them across his face. "Sorry…" Stan choked out. "Look, I know this is sudden…But I worry about him nearly every day. I don't even know if he's alive. You're one of few people that can help me right now...If he's alive…" Stan finished wiping his tears away and looked into Kenny's eyes with burning intensity. 'I want him to come home again. He's still my best friend…he always will be."

At the end of Stan's words, the house vibrated from the sudden, loud tolling of a grandfather clock.

Kenny saw a look of absolute fear in Stan's eyes. "Stan?" Kenny's body felt like lead. It seemed as if him and Stan shared a similar fear of the unknown. Stan's eyes seemed to freeze in fear, almost as if he were a statue. Stan's eyes finally moved again, making Kenny relieved he was OK. Stan shook his head, trying to recover himself. The grandfather clock continued tolling loudly throughout the house. The seventh toll finished. "I need to leave now, are you going?" Stan grinned at Kenny with a weak smile. "I need your decision. I trust you Kenny...a lot."

This was the point where Kenny would have to shape the future for not only himself, but Stan, too. Kenny knew the risks of leaving so suddenly. He would certainly be in trouble if he was to return. The adventure might result in them not even finding Kyle at all. The thoughts ate away at Kenny, making him lean towards the idea of not going at all. Kenny closed his eyes for a moment to ponder. He knew Stan needed his decision. With a brief moment of inner thought, Kenny decided on an answer.

"Stan…" Kenny let out a short sigh. "There's always a time in someone's life when they go out of their way to help someone else, even if it means they get into trouble…" Kenny flicked his eyelids open. Stan stared at him anxiously. Kenny forced himself to smile behind his watery eyes. "We really haven't done much this summer…" Kenny tried his best to appear happy behind his sadness. It was so hard for him to smile when his heart felt it was being torn from his chest. In the end, Kenny knew he would do anything from Stan, no matter how much his heart ached.

Stan's face lit up with a stronger, burning determination. Stan grew a hard smile across his face. 'Does that mean you'll go?!' he asked excitedly. Stan gave a nervous smile, anticipating Kenny's answer. Kenny nodded, his eyes were still building up with water. 'I'll help you find Kyle.' Stan gave an excited huff of air. 'T-Thank you...Wait here, Kenny!' Kenny watched Stan dash into his dark kitchen. His backpack bounced up and down as he ran. Kenny gripped his hands tightly into fists. 'I'll love you, no matter what.' Kenny promised in his thoughts.

A moment later, Kenny heard the sound of metal jingling. Stan appeared a moment later from the kitchen and stopped in front of Kenny. Stan held a finger through a metal loop, and was swinging some shiny silver keys around in the air. "You drive." Stan let the keys fly off his fingers and soar toward Kenny's chest. Kenny slapped his hands against his torso, and caught the metal in both hands. He looked down at the keys in shock. "You seriously want me to drive your parents car?!" Kenny asked in surprise.

"My parents are out of town right now. I'll take the blame for whatever happens. You deserve to do something fun, it's the least I can do for your help." Stan's words made Kenny smile back at him. The tears Kenny had been holding back suddenly streamed down his cheeks. 'Damn it…' Kenny mumbled. He wiped his wet parka sleeve across his face. Stan abruptly held a clenched fist towards Kenny. 'Let's do it, together!' Stan said determinedly. 'Kenny smiled back at him. Seeing Stan on the path to happiness again made him determined to find Kyle again. 'Together!' Kenny punched his knuckles against Stan's.

Kenny twisted around and swung Stan's door open into the rainy night. The rain seemed like it was falling even harder than when Kenny had ran over to Stan's house just minutes ago. Kenny dashed out into the musty nighttime weather. He heard the front door of Stan's house slam shut behind him. Kenny turned his head back as he ran. He watched Stan run alongside his flank. Stan kept his hand down and held a hand lightly on top of his black hair, trying to prevent it from looking too messy. Kenny twisted his head back forward.

A strong gust of wind picked up, slapping the cold raindrops against Kenny's face. Through the thick rain, Kenny could see Stan's parent's car sitting in Stan's driveway. The vehicle was a beautiful, metallic blue four-door car. Kenny gripped the keys hard in his hand as he approached the fancy looking vehicle. There was a small, plastic console attached to the key-ring. Kenny tapped a button, and the car beeped lightly. The headlights turned on, dimly shining through the downpour.

Kenny reached the car door and yanked on the black door handle. The car beeped lightly as Kenny slid into the driver's seat. He made sure to shut the door behind him. He stretched his feet in front of him and examined the car's interior. The inside was spacious, and the car seemed absolutely spotless and clean. Kenny leaned back against the seat. He closed his eyes at the thought of the cushioned seat he was on becoming wet from his soaked clothing. Kenny sighed and pulled on the seat belt just over his shoulder, then strapped himself in. Kenny held out the keys in his wet hand. "So this is really it…"

Kenny snapped his vision over to the door across from him. He saw Stan slide into the seat next to him. Stan closed the door and placed his backpack down near his feet. Stan turned to look at Kenny expectantly. Kenny made brief eye contact with Stan, but soon fixed his eyes on the raindrops pattering down the window behind him. "Kenny." Stan calling his name made Kenny snap his eyes back onto Stan. "If you don't want to, I won't force you. I know it's asking a lot. If you want to back out now, just hand me the keys and I'll drive."

Kenny bounced the keys lightly in his hand. He tossed the keys up in the air, briefly cutting off his view of Stan. The keys landed back in his hand with a light jingling sound. "I get to have fun today." Kenny slammed the key into the ignition. He twisted the key, and the engine purred to life.

"OK, listen. We need to go to Cartman's house." Stan instructed. "Cartman's?" Kenny asked in confusion. "I'm going to ask him to help us." Stan said. "He was in our original group. I still consider him a friend, even if I haven't hung out with him as much. I need all the help I can get."

"I'm on it." Kenny said.

Kenny slammed his wet shoe against the brake pedal and adjusted the shifting mechanism. The car slowly began to roll down the hill. Kenny twisted his head to look behind him as the car descended onto the street. Kenny twisted the steering wheel and straightened back onto the wet street. Kenny tapped on the brake pedal lightly, stopping the car smoothly. Kenny flicked on the windshield wipers, they helped clear the view in front of him for a few moments. "My first time driving…and it's with you." Kenny knew he would never forget this moment.

Kenny shifted the car into driving mode. "We leave South Park tonight." Stan said. "It's going to be a long way from home." Kenny smiled. "So let's go." Kenny slammed his foot on the gas pedal. The car lurched forward and the tires squealed beneath the two boys.

Kenny leaned forward, intensely watching the streets as he zoomed by several lit up houses. Kenny had played several video games in his life-time, and felt he at least knew a bit about driving from playing them. Kenny forced himself to stay within the posted speed limits, no matter how excited he was to start a crazy adventure. "While we're riding, I'll tell you what I'm planning on doing." Stan said.

"Alright." Kenny acknowledged. "So here's what I'm doing: We're going to take the 7:30 P.M. train leaving South Park tonight. Now, Kenny...how would we travel to Sweden without passports?" Stan asked. Kenny shrugged as he came slowed a stop near a stop sign. "Fake passports?" Kenny checked the streets to make sure no traffic was approaching. Stan pushed Kenny on the shoulder. "You dork, I'm talking about taking a ship to Sweden." Kenny lightly tapped on the gas, making the car roll forward. Kenny had a delayed reaction to Stan's statement. His jaw quickly dropped in shock. "You're taking…a ship?!" Kenny saw Stan nod in his peripheral vision.

"I know it's crazy, but it's the only chance we have. Once the ship leaves, we won't have any other ways to travel without passports. Once we board the ship, we'll sail to Sweden. Kyle lives in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden..." Stan trailed off into a brief silence, as if deeply pondering something. Kenny wondered what Stan was thinking about at that moment. "I have his address, we'll find Kyle, and I know we will." Stan said seriously.

"I'll do whatever I can." Kenny offered. "I promise."

Minutes later, Stan adjusted in his seat and pointed a finger towards a green house. "There's Cartman's house!" Kenny saw the lights inside Eric's home brightly lit up. "He should be home, pull in behind his mom's car." Stan instructed. Kenny obeyed and rolled up the driveway and parked behind Ms. Cartman's vehicle. "Let's go get him." Stan pushed open his door and ran up the driveway to Cartman's door. Kenny allowed the car to continue running. He opened his door and followed Stan up to Eric's front door. Kenny saw Stan knocking desperately on Eric's front door in front of him. Kenny hopped up the steps to meet him, and assisted Stan by tapping rapidly on the door. "Cartman!" Kenny called a bit loudly. "Come on…open up…" Stan begged quietly.

"Jeeze, wait up, I'm coming!" the two heard Eric's voice behind the door. Kenny saw the door fly open. Cartman was wearing his typical red jacket and brown pants. Kenny noticed he also had his shoes on. "So where we going?" Eric asked curiously. "Cartman." Stan snapped. Cartman turned his head towards Stan. Kenny saw wet beads of rain forming at the end of his bangs and dripping to the ground. "Stan…hi. I Haven't seen you in a while."

"I know." Stan said. "Listen Cartman, have you heard anything from Kyle?" Kenny saw a look in Cartman's eyes, something he thought seemed similar to Stan's eyes at the mention of Kyle. "That look…" Kenny's eyes widened. "Is that…?" His thoughts were interrupted by Stan rapidly explaining to Cartman what was happening. His words seemed to sound off into a big blur until Stan finally asked Cartman the important question: "Will you go?"

Cartman scratched the back of his head. "I just…I don't know Stan…I want to go…it's just…my mom has a cold, and I'm a little shaken up from today." Stan shook his head. "I'm sure your mom will be fine if all she has is a cold. She has friends." Cartman's lips formed into a straight line. "She's got friends alright…" Eric said angrily. "Cartman?" Stan raised an eyebrow. "Please, go with us. Kenny is going with me." Kenny felt tense as Cartman moved his chubby face towards him. Cartman's brown eyes met his. "Really?" Cartman asked, unconvinced. Kenny nodded. "He's right. This isn't for Stan, you, or me. This is for Kyle. We have a responsibility to make sure he's OK." Stan nodded. "He's right." Stan held a clenched fist out towards Cartman. "It'll be a crazy adventure. Will you go?"

Cartman chuckled. "I have to find my old Jewish friend. I can't do without him." Eric punched Stan's knuckles. "Let's get going!" Kenny nodded. "Right!"

"First one to the car gets to drive!" Stan announced. The three boys instantly ran for the car together. As they sprinted through the rain, they shared laughter with each other. "I remember it used to be this way…only we had Kyle with us." Kenny reflected. He pictured Kyle in his mind. Kenny could almost perfectly visualize his Jewish friend's red, fluffy hair and his gentle smile. "I like Stan." Kyle's words echoed in Kenny's ears. "You're still my friend…no matter what." Kenny thought to himself.

Stan was the first to slide into the driver's side door. "Fine, take shotgun." Kenny said loudly through the rain at Cartman. Cartman nodded at him. Kenny ran around the side of the car and hopped into the back seat behind the shotguns eat. Eric slid into the seat in front of Kenny. Stan suddenly gasped. "What?" Cartman asked nervously. "Look at the time." Stan nodded towards the clock lit up inside the car. Kenny widened his eyes as he found the time lit up in digital green letters. "7:18 P.M…" Kenny said. "Oh no…the train station is 15 minutes away by car, we'll never make it in time…"

"We will." Stan said flatly. Stan adjusted the car shifter and twisted his head around to look out the back window. The car quickly rolled the car down the hill. "Easy." Cartman complained as the car bumped onto the street. Stan straightened the car out on the street in the direction of the train station. "We're doing this!"Stan slammed on the gas pedal, and soared towards the future. The first storm was rumbling.

**…**

**Elsewhere…**

The rumbling of a motorcycle sounded through the nearly deserted streets of South Park. A figure in black twisted the gas throttle of the motor bike, making the engine scream out across the quiet little mountain town of South Park. The bike soared forward with incredible velocity. Under the male rider's helmet, his eyes burned with hatefulness at the thought of the four boys he was seeking. "Where are they?" the rider wondered. The black figure suddenly felt a vibration in their pocket. Something in their pocket buzzed against their leg once, then ceased. "I need to stop." The rider eyed a narrow alleyway between two restaurants, seemingly deserted.

The figure leaned with the bike and zoomed down into the alley. The rider pulled their fingers against the brakes, slowly bringing the bike to a halt in the darkness. A heavy boot kicked against the metal kickstand of the bike. The rider let the bike tilt slightly. "Is it time?" the figure wondered. A black glove reached into the riders pocket, and pulled out a cell phone. The screen on the phone lit up displaying **"O****ne New Message."** The rider tapped at the notification icon, and soon pulled up a text message. Determined eyes squinted through his helmet to read the contents. "Call me." The message said.

The rider tapped away at the electronic screen. "What's going on?" he wondered. The phone began ringing. With a tap against the phone's screen, static suddenly sounded in the rider's ear. Earlier, they had placed a listening device in their ear in case the associates of his found the boys. The rider listened to some static in his ear for several seconds, then finally heard a smooth voice speak. "I'm standing outside the one called Eric Cartman's house. I just witnessed three boys matching the descriptions you were speaking about leaving in a car. They seemed as if they were in a hurry, they drove off pretty quickly. Not to worry, I attached a tracker onto their car, just in case. I'm sending your phone the GPS co-ordinates." The voice cut off.

The rider felt incredibly strong emotion pulse through their body. "This is it..." a deep voice said excitedly. The rider felt their phone vibrate once more in their hand. The phone instantly lit up with an overview map of South Park. The rider saw their current location as a green triangle. Many streets over, a dark red dot was moving fast through the streets of South Park. The rider smiled. "It's them." The rider kicked the kickstand off the ground swiftly, then twisted hard on the gas throttle. The motorcycle rose high into the air. The biker rode a wheelie down the entire alleyway, then let the front tire slam against the ground. The mysterious rider leaned with the bike, and glanced down into their hand at the phone's GPS.

The rider began laughing hysterically. Their dark voice was unheard by anyone else on this quiet, rainy night.

"This will be a fun re-union." the rider said excitedly.

The First Storm was coming.

And blood was about to fly.


	28. EC & SM: A Step Towards Death

_**Author's** **Note: **I'm sure all of you were excited after the previous chapter. I've worked long and hard over this weekend (my only break from University) just to type out this chapter for you all. I really do appreciate all the dedication I've been given. When I started this story, I truly expected it to last only a few chapters before I deleted it. But through my love for South Park, and some very AWESOME FOLLOWERS, I keep on pressing forward with the story. I added a little teaser at the end of the chapter, so get excited ;) _

_As we approach the end of the third arc of the story, I have yet another special shout-out:_

_FanFiction user **Pffawg **for your reviews! I really liked the review saying you thought Chapter 24 was your favorite chapter yet!_

**AND REAL QUICK! I WANTED TO RESPOND TO A QUESTION I'VE BEEN ASKED:**

_**Q: **'Ok so, you've basically passed the word count of like three Harry Potter books, and I still see the plot growing. How long is your FanFiction going to be?'_

**A: **Great question, thank you for your interest! I know I have written quite a bit! (I never expected to pass Harry Potter as far as word count goes!) Personally, I think it is more exciting to read and get that feeling that the ending of the story is drawing near than to give a length. I'm sorry I can't give you an exact length, but I can at least tell you there are still some arcs I have planned (at a minimum, 10 chapter arcs, but this may change depending on story content). I hope you enjoy the story up until the ending! I promise you you'll be well rewarded for sticking with it!

**WITHOUT ANY MORE MESSAGES, ENJOY!**

Chapter 28 – A Step Towards Death

**POV: **Eric Cartman

An unseen danger was approaching Eric Cartman and his friends.

Eric watched the raindrops patter against the windshield of the car without speaking another word. Next to Eric, Stan gripped the steering wheel with fierce determination. Eric hadn't seen Stan so fired up in a very long time. Eric knew that Stan and Kyle's bond was unlike anything he'd ever seen before in his life. Cartman assumed that finding Kyle was currently the most important thing to Stan right now. Eric had honestly considered staying at home with his sick mother instead of going to find Kyle. However, Eric knew that this would be his chance to find Kyle, and finally confess to him his true feelings.

"I like you." Eric kept replaying the words in his head. He tried to picture several different scenarios, and have an imaginary conversation with Kyle. "What if he reacts this way?" Cartman tried to picture all the different reactions Kyle could give. He could almost feel himself lipping the words in his imaginary conversations. Cartman was greatly nervous, yet excited at the prospect of Kyle returning mutual feelings. "I can't believe we're actually coming to find you…" Eric thought. Moments ago, Cartman had been sitting at home, expecting yet another night to come and go. He figured he would just go to bed like usual, and wake the next morning. The world almost seemed mechanical to Cartman in that aspect. Tonight would provide the change he felt he needed. At the end of this journey, Cartman was determined he would find Kyle once again. "He's still my friend...even if he's not here anymore."

Eric had to admit, he found it strange that Kyle had seemingly dissapeared without a single word. He never understood nor had an idea as to why Kyle would just cut off everyone else and not maintain any form of contact with anyone from his hometown. Cartman couldn't lie to himself; sometimes he questioned if Kyle was even alive. "Friends don't just 'do' that to each other."

Cartman could almost perfectly picture the Jewish boy in his memory, just as he had appeared before he left for Sweden. Kyle's clear face and red poofy hair were his signature traits; Cartman remembered them well. The chubby boy honestly regretted all the anti-Semitic comments he made towards Kyle over their years together. "Stupid Jew, Dumb Jew…" Eric listed off the countless insults he had made towards Kyle in his head. "I hope he doesn't secretly hate me…" Eric wanted to tell Kyle he was sorry for all the times he called him offensive things. "It's strange, I was so mean to him...yet I found myself liking him..." Love was a strange thing to Eric. He had never been in a relationship before. "If there is one person I can have like me back, please let it be Kyle." Cartman prayed to himself. He wanted to hold Kyle tightly, and have him closer to him more than ever before. "I promise Kyle, I'll change for you..."

Cartman had to admit he felt selfish many times during the course of his life. Perhaps apologizing to Kyle for all his mistakes would take some weight off his shoulders. Eric's heart started beating faster at the thought of Kyle forgiving him and forming a new bond with him. At the very least, Cartman wanted Kyle to look at him a different way. Even if all Cartman could be was a friend to him, that would at least do a little to make Cartman feel better about his life. "I've known him since we were very young...I still remember what he told me a long time ago..."

A memory flashed in Eric's mind of himself and a young Kyle from long ago. The scene seemed to unfold in his memory. It was during recess in the first grade. South Park had been hit with a large snow storm the day before. Cartman sat on the rough wooden bench outside the school watching the other children play in the snow together. Cartman had lost the sweet privilege of recess because he swore in class. Stan had said something offensive towards Cartman about his weight, yet when Cartman rebutted in his colorful language, Stan got away with a mere slap on the wrist. Unfortunately for Cartman, he was forced to sit on the bench for the entire recess. "Favoritism..." he thought bitterly. None of the teachers particularly liked Cartman. Cartman let out a sigh of disappointment. His cold breath rose in the freezing winds. "This isn't fair." Cartman complained quietly.

Eric watched the other children run around the playground together. They were all smiling, tossing snowballs, and being so carefree. "I wish I had friends like that." Cartman had thought at the time. Cartman hadn't exactly been the nicest person in his younger years, a lot of others disliked him. It was nice that the original group somewhat accepted him. Stan, Kyle, and Kenny seemed like the only ones that would tolerate Cartman's actions, at least to a certain extent. Cartman saw Stan, Kenny, and Kyle playing together in the snow. Cartman watched Kyle and Stan pelt a young Kenny with snowballs. Eric saw Kyle gaze around the school playground. Kyle fixed his eyes on Cartman. Eric quickly flicked his eyes away from Kyle's gaze. "He knows I'm in trouble again..." As a usual routine, Kyle would commonly approach Cartman on the bench and lecture him on his mistakes. Cartman huffed when he darted his eyes back towards Kyle and saw the red head approaching him. His green hat was covered in white snow from where a snowball hit him earlier.

"You probably shouldn't have sworn in class." Kyle scolded Cartman as he stood in front of him. Eric glared up at Kyle angrily. "Seriously, how many times are you going to remind me of mistakes I already made?" Kyle smiled. "As much as it takes so you won't do it again." Kyle chuckled slightly. Eric reached out to punch Kyle, but Kyle slid back in time. "Relax. You can always join us another time. Just behave yourself." Eric folded his arms across his red coat and looked away from Kyle with a grumpy look on his face. Kyle sighed in front of him. "Alright. Wait here."

Eric watched Kyle walk away from him and head towards the school doors. Kyle dashed inside the school. "What the heck is he doing?" Cartman wondered. "Maybe he's going to find a way to scold me even more. Leave it to Kyle..." Eric was so annoyed at Kyle for always having the upper hand against him. Though now that he had grown up, Cartman realized Kyle was right. He should have behaved himself more. If he simply didn't make mistakes, he wouldn't be punished as much as he was. "Leave it to the Jew kid." Eric complained in his mind.

Eric's eyes remained fixated on the school doors Kyle had entered. "Where the heck is he?" The question was practically useless. Kyle pushed open the school door a moment later. Kyle held two silver thermoses in his gloved hands. He lightly jogged over towards Cartman. As he approached, Cartman gave a mischievous grin. "Maybe you shouldn't run on ice." Cartman said smugly. "Maybe you shouldn't get in trouble so I don't." Kyle retorted. "Touche." Cartman replied. Kyle sat down next to Cartman. "So what is that?" Cartman pointed at one of the thermos's with a bare hand. Cartman had left his mittens at home today, and had been keeping his hands tucked inside his coat pockets for warmth. Kyle held a thermos out to him. "It's hot chocolate." he explained. Eric gripped the thermos with his bare hands. The warm metal slowly heated Eric's hands.

Kyle unscrewed the cap of his thermos. Steam rose out of the metal cup into the frosty air. Kyle took a sip of his warm beverage. "What is this? A tea party?" Cartman jested. "I figured you'd rather have someone to talk to than sit here watching everyone else have fun." Kyle said. "I couldn't just let you sit here all alone...we're friends, aren't we?" Cartman huffed. "As if." Eric proceeded to unscrew the thermos cap anyway, and lifted it to his lips. He felt the warm, sweet taste of the hot chocolate gush into his mouth. Cartman lowered the thermos back to his lap. "So you brought two things of hot chocolate with you?" Eric raised an eyebrow.

"I keep two in my cubby." Kyle explained. "It's really easy, just add the mix, heat up some water, and stir." Eric shook his head. "I'll never understand your Jew ideas." Kyle glared at Cartman. "You may insult me for being a Jew, but with the way you eat, you'll get fat soon enough." Cartman was actually fairly skinny in the first grade, until his mom introduced him to the seemingly wonderful invention of junk food. "As if." Cartman had discarded Kyle's warning. Soon enough, Eric had slowly put on some weight. "He had actually warned me about it...but I never listened." Cartman thought.

It had never occurred to Cartman that perhaps Kyle had truly cared enough to warn him about eating too much unhealthy food. "He was right..." It wasn't the first time Kyle was right. Kyle had been correct about so many things in Eric's lifetime. "He inspires me. He really does." Without Kyle, Eric wouldn't have someone else try to actually, truly help him. Even if it did seem harsh for Kyle to scold Eric for his mistakes, Cartman knew Kyle likely did that as a gesture of good will. He probably wanted to see Cartman behave so that he COULD do more within their group. "I'll never forget you, no matter what. I promise, you will never be a memory to me."

Eric had truly changed over the course of a single day. His mother confessing to Eric she knew he was making himself throw up had hit him hard. Cartman was punishing himself for his own mistakes. "It's time I take responsibility. I need to make a real difference. I'm going to be someone to you Kyle, just you watch. I'm going to find you, and take you home. I swear, I'll never give up looking for you. Even if I can't walk anymore, I'll crawl around to find you. If I can't crawl, I'll call your name. If I can't call your name, I'll look for you with my own eyes. If I can't look for you, I'll wish you back...South Park isn't the same without you...there's only one thing I can do to change that..."

"I'm bringing you home, Kyle..." Cartman's thoughts ended as his eyes flared with new determination.

**...**

**POV:** Stan Marsh

"I'm definitely bringing you home." Stan thought to himself. He squinted his eyes to stare through the foggy windshield. The rain was still falling relentlessly. "You're going to be mine again...all our memories together aren't nothing...we can't end our friendship, ever..."

"Cartman." Stan said flatly. Stan saw Cartman turn towards him. Stan struggled to keep the car on the correct side of the road from the heavy rainfall. "I wanted to apologize." Cartman stared at Stan questioningly. "Apologize for what? You haven't done anything..." Stan blinked. "I have...I haven't been the most loyal friend to you. I spent a lot of time with Kenny this summer, and didn't even bother asking you to join us at all. I know our friendship right now isn't as strong as it used to be...I hope you can forgive me." Stan's lips formed a straight, hard line. Eric scratched the back of his head. "I haven't exactly tried a lot either. No one is perfect, I suppose."

"Except for me!" Kenny blurted from the back seat. The car erupted with laughter. "Save your perfectness for when we need to find Kyle." Stan said half-jokingly. "Let's just focus on getting to the train station first." Stan glanced at the clock inside the car. Digital green letters lit up the current time. Stan gritted his teeth as he read the time: '7:22 P.M.' "The train station is maybe three minutes away from here." Stan announced. "We're getting close..." Stan was getting increasingly excited as he zoomed by several buildings. Some of the buildings were lit up, but seemingly lifeless. Other buildings were in complete darkness. Stan noticed a stop sign in the distance. He lightly tapped the break pedal and came to a smooth stop in front of the stop sign. Stan eyed both directions to make sure no traffic was approaching, then carefully tapped the break pedal, slowly forming speed again. "You're not too bad of a driver." Eric complimented Stan. "I call shotgun when we get back." Stan chuckled. "Right..."

Stan flicked his eyes at the clock, anxious for the time to continue flowing. Stan felt a sense of urgency when the clock ticked to the next minute. "It's going to be close." Stan said tensely. Stan noticed a sign farther up the street signaling the train station was near. Behind the buildings Stan passed, he could see a long stretch of field, where the train ran through into South Park. "We're almost there." Stan's heart dropped when the car started shaking wildy. "What's going on?" Kenny asked. "I'm not sure." Stan replied. The car slowly decelerated towards a halt. "No...come on...don't break down on us..." Stan pleaded. His wishes were to no avail. Stan tilted the steering wheel towards the sidewalk. "We broke down...we'll have to run the rest of the way."

Cartman let out an annoyed sigh. "So we'll have to run through the rain...just our luck." Stan pushed open his car door without a second thought. "We can't waste any more time, let's go." Stan stepped out into the rain and dashed around the hood of his car and headed for the sidewalk. Rain pelted hard against his body. Drops formed at the end of Stan's long black bangs, and dripped onto the wet pavement beneath him. Stan eyed the open area that led to the train station platform just another block ahead. "Keep going..." Stan willed himself. He hopped up onto the sidewalk and sprinted down the street towards the train station. "Come on, let's go!" Stan glanced behind him to see Kenny sprinting right behind him. The blond's blue eyes shined as he met Stan's gaze. Cartman was slightly further back, but he kept pushing himself to run faster. Stan smiled. "We're almost there."

"We're about to start a journey together..." As Stan ran, he could almost feel Kyle running next to him. It was as if Kyle was here with him, and was following him on another adventure. "You'll be here for real next time." Stan promised.

Suddenly, Stan heard the light rumbling of a motor far behind him. Stan looked down the street behind him and saw a single, dim headlight shining through the rain. "They're nuts to be driving out in this weather." Stan thought. Thunder boomed overhead, followed by a long stretch of lightning across the sky. A loud screeching sound pierced through the air. The motorcycle suddenly flew by Stan and his friends. Stan saw a dark rider atop the bike. The figure was dressed in black, and seemed stare at the three boys under their helmet visor. Something about the dark figure chilled Stan. There was an odd sense of familiarity in the brief moment when the rider made eye contact with him. The boys crossed the street onto the block where the train station was located. "So close!" Stan thought.

Stan noticed the rider slide the motorcycle sideways down the street. The tires squealed as the rider tried to stop the bikes momentum. The bike slowly came to a sudden halt. The dark rider paused and looked at Stan for a moment through his dark helmet visor. The headlight of the motorcycle turned off suddenly, and the rumbling of the motor ceased. The strange person raised a foot and kicked a silver kickstand hard towards the ground beneath them. "Why are they stopping?" Stan wondered. The rider leaned with the bike, resting it on the wet pavement. The dark figure swung a leg over the bike and stared at the boys. Stan couldn't see under the riders helmet visor. "What's going on?" Stan questioned. The rider slowly stepped up onto the sidewalk and stopped directly in the middle, facing the boys. Stan stopped running and froze in front of the rider. "Stop." Stan held an arm out in front of Kenny, stopping his movement.

The rider stood silently in the rain in front of the boys. The dark figure raised an arm and pointed a black leather glove towards Stan. "Stan Marsh." a deep voice sounded. The rider moved their finger and pointed towards Kenny. "Kenny McCormick." Lastly, the rider set their finger towards Cartman. "And Eric Cartman." Stan felt threatened by the riders voice. "How do you know our names?" Stan asked. "Who are you?!"

The rain was the only sound that fell for a few moments.

"I'm surprised you don't remember me." The rider said. Stan suddenly heard the sound of sirens explode from a distance. "It seems I've been discovered. Just what I had hoped." Stan's legs burned with energy, he wanted to continue running. However, he felt fearful staring at the strange figure in front of him. "Look, we need to get going." Stan said desperately. The rider held a hand towards the boys and spread five fingers. "No, you will die here, right on the streets." Stan's eyes widened and his heart began racing. "W-What?!" he asked in disbelief. "Are you threatening us?" The rider shook their head. "I'm promising you a swift death."

The rider reached into their pocket. The boys tensed in anticipation. "Look out. If he has a gun, run." Stan ordered. Stan was surprised when the rider pulled out a small, black object. "What is that?" Cartman asked from behind. The rider tapped their thumb against the object. With a small click, a pointy silver blade ejected into the night. The rain slapped against it. The metal glared in Stan's eyes.

"A knife?" Stan asked himself.

In the next moment, flashing red and blue lights erupted from the side streets. Stan watched three police cruisers soar down the street towards the dark rider. "What the hell?" Stan asked. "I'll wait to kill you just a little longer." The boys stood frozen in fear at the words directed at them. Stan literally felt paralyzed in the presence of this strange person. He felt as if he was being choked by invisible hands, and couldn't move at all. Stan wanted to run desperately, but his fear was restraining his movement.

The three police vehicles screeched to a halt on the other side of the street across from the rider. Stan saw the car doors of the police vehicles swing open. Several officers stepped out and pointed their pistols towards the rider. Stan noticed among their ranks, officer Barbrady stood behind one of the vehicles with his arms extended. He held a powerful looking, large pistol in his hands. Officer Barbrady slowly walked around the cars towards the dark figure. Behind Barbrady, the officers slowly followed him, pointing guns at the dark figure. "You really came back..." Barbrady said in angry disbelief. "I should have known..." Barbrady eyed the boys. "Boys, get out of here!" Barbrady stiffened his arms and pointed his pistol towards the riders face. "Don't move or I'll shoot!"

The rider turned toward Barbrady. "If you try to kill me, you'll drown in your own blood." the deep voice sounded. Stan's body felt like lead when the rider turned towards him. "It's their blood I want. Interfere, and it will be yours too." The rider slowly stepped towards Stan. Kenny tugged on Stan's shoulder in a panic. "Dude, let's get out of here!" Stan stood frozen in fear, unable to move. "Stan?" Kenny asked. Stan's eyes widened, he just made an unbelievable discovery.

"T-That voice..." Stan said. "It can't be..."

"It can't be...No..." Stan's mind filled with memories of his past. Stan dropped to his knees. The voice was something Stan found all too familiar. "It's been too long..." The deep voice sounded as he approached Stan. Stan started breathing heavily.

"Not another step!" Barbrady shouted at the figure in black. The rider continued walking slowly towards Stan, uncaring of the threat. "Stop, or I will shoot!" Barbrady warned. The rider took another step, and Barbrady fired his pistol. A loud sound split through the air. Time seemed to freeze as Stan watched what happened next. Stan had expected to see blood flying from the rider. Yet the rider suddenly froze. He stood there, uninjured and seemingly completely fine. Barbrady had the pistol pointed directly at the rider's face, yet Stan saw no blood fly.

He lowered his eyes towards the wet pavement. Stan saw a new hole in the concrete, with steam rising from it. "Impossible...the bullet missed..." One of the officers from Barbrady's team said in shock.

The rider slowly raised their right arm in the air. The knife in their gloved hand shined brightly.

"I told you what would happen. Let's make the blood fly tonight."

The rider slowly turned towards Barbrady. Barbrady took a hesitant step backwards away from the rider. "Shoot him if he takes another step!" Barbrady ordered the other officers. The officers stiffened their arms, and held their guns firmly, pointed towards the riders head. The rider chuckled underneath their helmet.

"Let the blood fly."

The rider began sprinting towards Barbrady.

The First Storm was here.

**...**

**Elsewhere...**

A boy sat on top of a large clock tower overlooking a large stretch of ocean. Dim gray waters lapped against the harbor in front of him. Around the boy, several brick buildings were beneath him. His legs dangled over the edge of the tower. There would be a long fall if the boy was to jump off the edge. He kicked his legs lightly back and forth. A shooting star could be seen flying across the sky. The boy closed his eyes and squeezed a green hat in his hands. He made a simple wish.

"Be safe."


	29. KM: The First Storm

_**Author's** **Note: ***Inhales sharply* Wow! That was an incredibly POWERFUL chapter I just typed out. I can't believe how crazy this story is really getting. As a mini-update, I would like to announce that as of chapter 35, I will have completed 'book 1' in the 'Tale of Storms' series. I will eventually be adding a book/arc directory at chapter 1, so please look forward to that if you wish to use it as a reference. _

_I've been SO slammed with college homework it's been absolutely crazy. I just managed to finish this chapter today with the spare time I had from homework, and it's 12:38 A.M. here as I'm typing this. I love all my followers just oh so much I put aside time just to bring you all the next exciting chapter. _

**_Special Author Shout-out To:_**

_FanFiction user **MootyCakes**. Thank you so much for your peer reviews, you have really helped me become a better writer! _

_Please check my profile for any personal, author related updates on the story!_

_Also please consider leaving a review, they encourage me to do better and keep writing!_

_And most importantly, if you DO decide to leave a review, I'd LOVE to hear your feedback on which couple you support: Style...or Stenny? :) Who will end up with who...? Stay tuned!_

**_HERE GOES THE FIRST STORM! ENJOY!_**

Chapter 29 – The First Storm

**POV: **Kenny McCormick

Time seemed to freeze for Kenny McCormick.

Kenny had never felt more connected with the world around him. His adrenaline began pumping through his veins. He could feel every muscle in his body as he shook in the heavy rainfall. He felt as if he could sense every fiber in the world as he prepared himself.

In front of him, Kenny watched the biker in dark clothing sprint towards Barbrady in what seemed like slow motion. Kenny saw every drop of water fly upwards as the biker stepped in a puddle with his boots. He could see every slight movement the dark rider made. Kenny was afraid, he felt as if he was staring death in the face.

"Is this it?" Kenny wondered to himself. He knew that there would be one of two outcomes for him in these next few minutes. Kenny realized the facts of this instant: he would either live, and seek out Kyle with his friends, or else him, Stan, and Eric would all die a miserable death right here in the streets. Kenny closed his eyes for a brief moment. In the smallest moment, Kenny remembered something from long ago. He allowed himself to soak into the memory.

"Kenny…I like Stan…" Kenny remembered lying on his back on Kyle's soft bed when his Jewish friend confessed his love for Stan. Kenny had bolted upright, making his friend's bed creak when Kyle broke the news to him. Kenny had shared a short, tense stare with Kyle as he digested the confession. Kenny was suddenly filled with energy. His friends confession had surprised him and filled him with energy. "You…_like_ Stan…what do you mean?" Kenny had asked, raising an eyebrow and forming a hard smile. Kyle avoided his gaze and stared down at the carpet, blushing. "I mean…I think I love him…" Kenny's jaw had dropped and he let out an excited breath. The blond felt energy pulsate throughout his body; he had never been happier for Kyle.

"That's wonderful!" Kenny said out loud. 'I'm so glad for the both of them.' he thought in his mind.

Kenny remembered how much he had supported the two as a couple. 'I gave Kyle the idea to sneak off to school and tell Stan the truth...I'm the one who told Kyle my secret, that I knew a secret way into the school..." Kenny had never known what happened that very night, but he knew that afterwards, Kyle and Stan had formed a true relationship with each other. It was what Kenny thought he had wanted for them...

'And then…Kyle left.'

Kenny remembered the look in Stan's eyes as he was approaching what seemed like his final days with Kyle. It seemed to Kenny as if Stan saw Kyle as a drug he couldn't live without, it tore him inside at just the thought to be separated from Kyle. Stan had always thought him and Kyle would be inseparable, but that proved not to be the case. Kenny remembered how Stan's eyes reflected Kyle more and more as time wore on. 'He was never truly happy without that someone…and I wanted to be someone to him...'

'Even though times have changed...I stand here preparing myself for what could be the end...There's only one thing I can do now…If I ever want to hold hands with Stan again like before…' the memory of Stan's gentle grasp, and his fingers interlocking with Kenny's as they watched the fireworks together flashed in Kenny's mind. 'I'll have to fight…for all of us…No matter what happens...I'll fight until the end if I have to! I'll protect my friends! I can't betray Kyle, he's my best friend. I promise I'll keep Cartman safe, he's a friend too. And Stan…' Kenny opened his eyes and gazed at the rider through the rain.

'I love him…I always will…"

Time unfroze, and the battle of the first storm began…

"Fire!" Barbrady shouted over the heavy rain. Several loud screeches pierced through the air. Kenny jumped at the rapid sound of bullets being fired. In front of him, the rider continued running for Barbrady. There was no blood, and all the bullets fired seemed to tunnel into the wet pavement around the riders feet. Kenny could see the steam rise from where the bullets burrowed themselves in the pavement.

'What the hell?' Kenny wondered.

"No!" Stan was on his knees in front of Kenny, shaking badly. Stan seemed just as, if not more surprised than Kenny at the sight of the bullets not touching the rider. The officer's pistols seemed to be pointed directly at the dark rider.

"Are they missing him?" Kenny wondered. Cartman stood frozen next to Stan as he watched the rider get close to Barbrady.

The bullets stopped firing, and the rider made his first move.

Kenny's eyes widened as he saw the rider leap into the air unlike any human he'd ever seen before. The dark rider performed a front flip in mid-air, and landed his heavy boots on top of Barbrady's shoulders. Barbrady grunted from the blow. The rider leaned forward as Barbrady began to fall towards the ground. The dark figure pressed his boots against the back of Barbrady's shoulders., sending him flying forward towards the other officer's behind the shelter of their police cruisers. Barbrady fell forward and slammed into the pavement from the blow. Kenny saw the flashing red and blue police lights shine against the rider's helmet visor.

'He's not normal...' Kenny observed.

"We're out of ammo!" one of the officers yelled from behind the police cruisers. As the rider flew towards one of the officers, he extended his right arm in front of him. The silver knife shined in the night, it's glow hurt Kenny's eyes, he had to look away. "First." The deep voice under the helmet sounded.

Kenny watched in horror as the rider slashed an enormous gash across the officer's torso in mid-air. The officer let out a yelp of pain and instinctively reached for his wound. Blood trickled down his uniform and sprayed out into the air like a fountain. The officer stood for a moment, then stumbled and collapsed onto the wet pavement beneath him, his face landed in his own blood. The sight of death chilled Kenny to the bone. "You bastard!" one of the other officers shouted across from his murdered companion. Kenny could see the other officers pulling out knives from their belts in preparation of the bikers next move.

Seeing the bloodshed made Kenny fearful, but he forced himself to stay as courageous as he could. 'That's it…I need to help them...' he thought to himself. Kenny hesitantly put a foot forward as the rider dashed for his next target.

'I'm going to prove myself to you Stan…watch me…' Kenny began running towards the rider. He saw the dark figure dodge blows from two other officer's without any effort. The rider simply would leap back, side step, or lean to dodge the slashing of the other officer's.

'Can I really do anything…' Kenny thought hesitantly. 'He's so...strong.'

Kenny heard Stan gasp behind him. "Kenny, no!" the dark haired boy shouted after him.

Kenny saw rider twirl away from the blows of the other officers, almost as if he was dancing to avoid their attacks. The dark figure ducked below two slashing blows from the officers. When their arms had hit nothing, the rider quickly stood up. Kenny saw his helmet flick back and forth, quickly observing his targets. The rider reached his arms out and grabbed both of the officers by their uniform collars. He lifted them both into the air. The dark rider briefly lowered his arms then pushed them upwards hard, sending the officers a few inches into the air. Before gravity could take effect, the rider lifted one foot off the ground and twirled in a circle with his knife. His already blood soaked knife pierced through the two officers in the air. The slashing from his knife sent their blood flying through the wind. Blood splattered across the white hood of the police cruisers. A sickening thud was heard as the two lifeless bodies fell on the ground. Kenny halted in fear, considering running away with Stan and Eric. Time was running out, the train would surely arrive soon.

Officer Barbrady was struggling on the ground not far from Kenny. His black sunglasses had fallen off, revealing aged eyes. "No, run!" he pleaded, looking intently in Kenny's eyes. "You don't know what you're doing! Just go!" There were only two other officers left for the rider to finish off behind the police cruisers. 'If I don't fight...I can run...but if I help out now, maybe I'll have a better chance at surviving...' It was a difficult decision Kenny had to make.

'I'll do whatever it takes, if I can save lives, I'll sacrifice my own to do so!'

Kenny let out a hard breath and ran with all of his might towards the officer. The dark figure ran for another officer, shaking in fear. The officer held out an extended, shaky arm, preparing to defend himself from the otherworldly attacker.

The officer's effort was to no avail, the rider side-stepped the cop's lunge and drew his silver blade across his opponent's throat. Red liquid squirted out from the man's neck. The officer reached for his throat instinctively. He couldn't scream from the blood choking him. The officer's eyes slowly closed, and he collapsed to the ground. As Kenny was a step away from the hood of a police cruiser, he noticed red liquid trickling out from underneath.

'This bloodshed...it's cold murder...'

"One left." The rider said in his deep, menacing voice. The last officer began to run away from the rider in hopes he would live. He tripped as he ran away, and quickly struggled to get up. "Not so fast." The rider raised his blade high into the air. The dark figure pulled his arm back, and flung the knife towards the running officer. The blade flipped rapidly through mid-air. It pierced into the cop's back, directly into his heart. "Agh!" the officer squealed out. He landed face-down on the pavement.

Barbrady's backup units were completely defeated in less than a minute.

"Stop it!" Kenny screamed. Kenny leaped onto the hood of a police cruiser and slid across it towards the rider. "Kenny!" Eric and Stan said in unison behind him. "Why are you doing this?! Stop!" Kenny yelled at the rider as he slid across the hood of the police car. Kenny landed on the other side of the cruiser and glared at the rider, standing just a car-length away from Kenny. The rider turned toward Kenny slowly. "There's one more I have to finish before you." Kenny ran for the rider, but the man in black performed an incredible maneuver. The black figure leaped from the other side of the cop car and twisted through the air over Kenny. The dark figure landed behind Kenny.

Kenny swung his arm behind him, the rider ducked, avoiding his blow. The mysterious figure jumped over the cop car and twisted. His heavy boots landed just in front of Barbrady, who was just barely starting to get back up. "See, Barbrady? I told you you would never protect them."

"Shut up." Barbrady gasped out.

Kenny eyed Barbrady as he struggled to get up. "Get out of here…" Barbrady coughed into a wet hand. "He's too strong, just go!" Barbrady tried saying with as much effort as he could. Kenny figured he would have screamed it, but the older cop didn't have much energy left at this point.

"Hmm…I think maybe I'll receive more satisfaction from instilling fear in them. What kind of cop are you? You can't protect anyone, Barbrady." The rider taunted. The rider reached into his pocket, and pulled out an identical knife. With the tap of a finger, a clean silver blade poked out into the night.

"No!" Kenny yelled. He ran for Barbrady. The rider seemed to pause his blow, he watched Kenny as he approached, as if he wasn't worried. Kenny jumped in front of Barbrady and extended his arms.

"Get out of my way." The deep voice sounded, uncaring. In the blink of an eye, Kenny felt an enormous blow against the side of his chest. He stumbled sideways and fell hard against the pavement. His chest shot with pain, he curled into a ball, trying to heal himself from the blow. Kenny also felt a burning pain in his hand. He looked at his soaked palm to see he had scraped it in several places from sliding against the pavement. Kenny twisted his head back towards the rider. "Stop!" he yelled out. The shout had hurt his chest, he hunched back up in pain. "Kenny!" he heard Eric call. "Go!"

Kenny tried to get up as fast as he could. In front of Kenny, the figure raised his arm high into the air. Barbrady pushed his hands against the ground, and shook as he tried to stand up. "Boys, this man is-" he tried to say as he attempted to stand up. "His name is-" Officer Barbrady's words were cut off, but not from Barbrady's own choice. Kenny heard Stan scream in fear as the figure stabbed Barbrady's skull. "No!" Stan screamed. Blood sprayed against the rider's dark clothing, and the demon began laughing hysterically. "It's finally time!" he shouted through the rain. The rider stumbled from his excitement.

It was time for Kenny, Stan, and Eric to shape their destinies.

The rain fell silently against the boys and the dark rider. "Now that they are dead...I get the pleasure of killing each of you…Who should I start with?" The rider slowly turned towards Kenny. Kenny's eyes widened, he wanted to scream at the top of his lungs, but he forced himself to keep his fear inside. 'I can't show any fear.' Kenny tried to calm himself. Though he was sure his now rapid breathing was giving away how scared he really was. Kenny wasn't sure what to do at this point.

'He's too strong…I underestimated him...I need to get out of here, or we're all going to die…I shouldn't have jumped in like I did…we need to live on…" Kenny thought to himself.

' And besides...I made a promise to Stan...We're going to find you Kyle…no matter what…'

"Maybe I'll start with you, Kenny McCormick." The rider said in what seemed like a shaky voice. The helmeted man began walking towards Kenny. His blood soaked knife dripped blood on its pointy end. The blood dripped onto the wet pavement, leaving a bloody trail behind the rider. Kenny stood frozen in fear.

'How can I win? If I run, that just leaves me blind-sided... I have to wait until there's some opportunity to get away during our fight…" Kenny tried to observe the situation. His gaze flicked all around him. Not far away, Kenny heard the sound of a train whistling. 'No! The train is here...wait...is that our chance?! We need to leave very soon if we want to find Kyle! That's our only option...or rather...Stan and Eric's.' Kenny closed his eyes, he felt sadness pang inside of him.

I don't care about myself right now, I have to protect them at the very least!" the blond thought.

"Stan, Eric, go!" he yelled through the rain. Kenny sprinted for the rider. His body was aching from the effort, and his chest was especially hurting, but he willed himself to run through the pain. "Try me." The deep voice said. "This will be fun." When Kenny was close enough to the rider, he gritted his teeth. He pressed his feet hard against the ground and leaped into the air. Kenny lifted himself off the ground and twisted his body. He pulled his arm back behind him. Kenny swung a hard blow, but the rider side stepped without effort. Kenny lost his balance when his feet met the ground. He stumbled in a panic. Before he could fall, he suddenly felt leather squeeze around his neck. He felt the rider use a great force to lift him off the ground.

Kenny felt as if his life was being siphoned from the rider's fierce grip. Kenny reached for his neck, trying to pry the rider's fingers away from his neck. Kenny stared down at the dark figure as he struggled to break free. Kenny tried kicking, but the rider's arm held him out too far. "How many holes do you think I could punch in you before you die?" The rider asked intimidatingly. Kenny couldn't believe the unbelievable strength of the rider, holding Kenny up with just one hand. Kenny felt as if the simplest muscle movement from the rider's fingers would break his neck.

"Your two friends are over there, helpless. They are watching you in fear. Just what I like to see. I'm not sure if I would like to see you all suffer at once...maybe one at a time would be more fun...Perhaps I could kill the last one off, the one with the most torment. I do know I don't like simple deaths... No, you all deserve far worse. How about I capture you, torture you, cut your limbs off, and make you suffer for maybe years before you die?"

Kenny felt his breath rise in his throat in preparation for a scream. He choked on his air when he saw dark red eyes underneath the helmet visor the rider was wearing. "Those eyes..." he thought in his fear. Kenny's pupils dilated at his discovery. "It can't be!" The rider chuckled underneath his helmet. "This is the kind of fear you should have. Do you like what you see?"

The rider pushed a leg behind him. His boot thumped against the ground. The dark figure pulled Kenny towards him, then with an enormous force, threw Kenny through the air towards Stan. Kenny twisted in mid-air and cranked his head to face the direction he was flying. Stan watched him, frozen and unmoving. Kenny extended his arms in front of his face as his body neared Stan. "Look out!" he warned loudly. It was too soon for Stan to move, Kenny collided directly into him. Kenny twisted his body and wrapped his arms around Stan. Kenny pushed Stan from the ground and held Stan above him as he soared through the rain. Kenny landed on his back, and Stan fell hard against his chest. Kenny let out a light squeak of pain from the blow. His chest hurt badly and his backside was burning now from his hard landing.

Kenny pushed his arms underneath Stan's arms and squeezed him tightly.

The rider slowly approached Stan and Kenny. 'Those footsteps...are those going to be the last thing I hear?' Kenny wondered.

Stan leaned his back against Kenny's chest. Kenny heard Stan panting heavily. He could feel Stan's heartbeat against his own chest. Kenny could feel his cold, wet body shaking against him. Kenny leaned towards Stan's ear. "Stan, Put your arm around me." There was a brief pause, and the only sound Kenny heard was the heavy rain. In front of Stan and Kenny, the rider had paused in front of them. Stan turned his body towards Kenny. His blue eyes danced with fear and sadness. Tears streamed down Stan's face. "Kenny…I'm so sorry." He lifted his hands and placed them on Kenny' shoulders. Stan began sobbing into Kenny's chest. Kenny put a hand lightly against the back of Stan's head.

"I made a promise to you, Stan…" Kenny gave a weak smile, unseen by Stan. "I'd never break my promise to you…" Stan pulled his head back from Kenny's chest. Stan and Kenny's blue eyes sent an unspoken message to one another, one that they wouldn't speak about ever again. "I'll make a promise too...' Stan choked out. More tears streamed down his face. "I'll become stronger...I promise you..." Stan closed his eyes tightly and put a shaky arm around the back of Kenny's neck. Kenny leaned forward and slipped his arms underneath Stan. One arm went underneath Stan's back, and the other underneath Stan's knees.

Kenny was hurting badly, but he used his burning desire to prove himself to find more energy. He pushed his feet hard against the ground, and carried a surprisingly light Stan in his arms. He cradled Stan. Stan leaned into Kenny's chest. "Thank you..." he said tiredly.

"We need to leave together." Kenny's eyes began watering. "Kyle's waiting."

Kenny's tears pattered against Stan. Thunder boomed above Kenny's head, followed by a long stretch of bright lightning.

There would be many more tears later.


	30. SM: The Promise of the Three

_**Author's Note:** Happy 30th chapter!_

_So university this past weekend has been absolutely CRAZY! I had to spend literally two days straight working on a project I just got done this morning. I spent the entirety of today typing out this new chapter in hopes I could get this published weekly, as is my goal. :) I myself am very excited to bring my thoughts to life through this amazing story. I've received so much feedback, thank you all so much for your positive encouragement. _

_This is **NOT** the end of season 3. Season 3 will end on chapter 35. And as of chapter 35, this will conclude the first 'book' in the Tale of Five Storms series. I hope everyone is excited for the final chapter of book 1! I've came so far with this story, I could never have done it without all of you! So big hugs to all of you who want one (unless your one of those uptight people 'HURMAHGURD DON'T TOUCH ME I HAVE ISSUES OPENING UP TO PEOPLE')  
_

_Anywho..._

_Hope you enjoy the next installment!_

_Oh, and just for funsies, next week is a Wendy chapter. :) Stay tuned!_

Chapter 30 – The Promise of the Three

**POV: **Stan Marsh

Stan Marsh leaned into Kenny McCormick's soaked parka. He was shaking violently on top of his friend's arms. He could hear Kenny's heartbeat thumping rapidly against his ear. The rhythmic pattern of Kenny's heartbeat was the only thing Stan could use as a distraction. Stan attempted to let his mind wander, ignoring the bloody scene right in front of him.

Rain continued pelting against Stan's body. Stan wished he could melt away with the rain. He was tired of all the pain and sadness in his life. He knew deep inside that he could very likely face his own death tonight. He wondered how it would feel to be punched, stabbed, maybe even shot. Stan's fear of the pain had somewhat numbed him. His mind was in a haze, he just wanted to drift away into nothingness, as if the very world was never a real thing. Stan squeezed his eyes tightly, trying his best to enter an alternate world. He didn't want to think about the murderous biker standing not too far away from him. Stan tried to keep his thoughts positive, yet his body was burning with fear. He could feel the blood pumping through his veins, and the adrenaline high had kicked in. Stan didn't want to feel more rushed by the fact he heard the train whistle just moments ago. He had hoped perhaps everything could simply vanish on this world without any pain, and everyone would live together in harmony.

'Kyle…would you be waiting for me?' Stan wondered.

Stan felt Kenny shift abruptly. This disrupted Stan's thoughts. His eyes shot open, back into the rainy night. Kenny stared at the dark rider with fear, determination, and perhaps even some sadness. Raindrops were dripping off the blond's soaked hair. Kenny suddenly stiffened his arms, tightening his hold on Stan. Stan was surprised Kenny's skinny arms could handle Stan's capacity.

Stan couldn't believe how useless he was being.

'Kyle would be so ashamed of me...' Stan thought sadly. Kenny looked down at Stan with a worried look.

"I don't know why I'm not fighting, Kenny….I'm sorry." There was a strange pause as the two exchanged a glance of understanding. "I didn't know death was so disgusting…"

"Stan." He heard Kenny whisper to him through the rain. Stan raised his tired head a bit more.

"Yeah?" Stan asked, sniffing. His face was wet with some tears as well, he fought to hold them all inside.

"We have to go now, Kyle is waiting." Kenny said with a weak smile. "Don't cry, please." Kenny reached down and wiped Stan's tears away. Stan allowed his gentle fingers to brush his face. "Thank you...Kenny."

Thunder exploded overhead, and a flash of lightning illuminated Stan and Kenny's faces for a brief moment.

'I can't owe you enough...' Stan tried to portray with his eyes.

Stan jolted in Kenny's arms at the sound of a boot thumping loudly against wet pavement. Stan cranked his head over to watch the rider approach him and Kenny. Behind the dark figure, the flashing red and blue lights from the police cars continued rotating, shining against the rider's helmet visor. Underneath the cars, blood was trickling across the pavement, and slowly being washed away by the rainfall. The rider's knife shined in the night, blood-soaked at its sharp point. "Kenny…" Stan tightened his hold on Kenny. If he died, he wanted to be close to one of his friends.

The biker began sprinting for Kenny and Stan...

Stan winced in fear as the rider quickly ran for them. Kenny shifted quickly, and began charging away from the rider. Stan looked straight ahead at where Kenny was running down the sidewalk. In the distance, just up the block, Stan could see on the right, a large, open area that led to the train station platform. It was located between two tall buildings, so Stan had no idea as to whether or not the train had arrived at the station. 'We're so close…' Stan thought. Behind him, Stan could hear Cartman panting to keep up with them. He heard the chubby boys shoes slap against the pavement.

Stan bounced lightly in Kenny's arms as he fled from the rider. "I'm not dying today!" Kenny yelled through the rain. Stan heard a menacing laugh behind Kenny's body, not too far away. The footsteps of the rider became louder by the second.

'Kyle…please be with me…' Stan prayed, closing his eyes.

With every second passing, Stan was approaching his destiny. Stan's life would soon change. He would never guess what was to come.

"Perish." Stan heard a deep voice say from behind Kenny. Stan's eyes jolted open again. He braced himself for an immense amount of pain.

"Kyle!" Stan blurted into the night.

Stan felt Kenny stiffen suddenly. Stan swayed forward slightly in Kenny's arms, but was pulled back in by Kenny. "What the…?" Kenny asked. Stan quickly looked up at Kenny, his head was cranked behind him. Stan saw Kenny's eyes widen. Stan was about to scream, he feared that every second Kenny stood around, his friend was just risking their lives. Any moment now, Stan expected to feel pain, and to die.

Kenny twisted around with Stan. Stan's eyes widened at the sight Kenny was observing. '…What the hell?' Stan thought to himself as he digested what he was seeing. In front of him, the rider was leaning forward, but remained still, as if he had suddenly became frozen in mid-stride. "What?" the rider asked in his deep voice. He sounded agitated.

"What are you doing? I told you their blood was mine! They are right in front of me!" The rider was speaking out loud. Stan raised an eyebrow. "What is he doing?" he asked quietly. Kenny didn't seem to hear him. Next to Kenny, Cartman was staring at the rider with shock. "Kenny." Stan snapped to his friend. "Just keep going, we can't miss the train." Kenny stood dumbfounded at the sight. "R-Right." Kenny said.

Before Kenny turned, Stan saw him eye the rider with a hard stare. It was one of pure hatred. Stan had never seen Kenny with such a hateful look before. There was one disturbing thing Stan noticed in Kenny's eyes was that his glare seemed to portray he knew something about the rider. 'Kenny?' Stan wondered.

Before Stan could continue his thoughts, Kenny turned away from the rider and began sprinting through the rain. "What just happened?!" Stan asked worriedly. Stan tried to peek around Kenny, but he couldn't manage to see anything. "Kenny, what was that about?!" Stan asked. "I don't know, but we need to go." Kenny replied. Stan was bouncing lightly in Kenny's arms. "Not too far now."

A loud, agitated grunt shot through the night. "They…are….mine!" the rider screamed behind the boys. Kenny cranked his head back behind him to see what was happening. "What's he doing?" Stan asked. "He's just…standing back there…" Kenny said. "He's grabbing his helmet, and stumbling around…it looks like he's in pain or something." Stan let out a long breath of relief. 'Thank you…' Stan smiled as he thought of Kyle. He leaned into Kenny's chest as his friend ran. "You're a good friend…Kenny..." Stan said quietly. Stan felt Kenny's heartbeat quicken even more as he ran, though Stan figured this was just from the physical activity. Stan heard a strange sound in the distance.

"You guys!" Eric called from next to Kenny. "I think I heard the rumbling of the train! I think it's about to leave!" Stan's eyes widened. Kenny looked tired carrying Stan. "Put me down, Ken, I'll run." Stan told him. Kenny seemed to ignore Stan, and continued running. The large opening that led to the train station platform was about half a block away. "Kenny? I said you can put me down." Stan urged.

"No." Kenny said. "If I have the chance to make it so you see Kyle again, I'll help in any way I can…" Kenny said between breaths. "He's waiting for us…" Kenny leaned forward slightly and tried to quicken his pace. Stan heard Cartman's feet slapping against the puddles as he was carried towards the station. In the distance, a train whistle sounded. "It's leaving!" Cartman said worriedly. Kenny reached the corner of the last, square building just before the opening that led to the train station platform. This building was somewhat tall. It was an old, brick building. Not a single light was shining inside its walls. It was as if the building was void of life.

'If we miss the train…' Stan imagined what it would be like if he would never see Kyle again. His schedule was tight, and his money was limited. He couldn't wait until a week to leave, not even a day. 'The ship to Sweden is leaving in two days...and the train arrives just before it leaves...It's all or nothing…I trust you Kenny.' Stan thought to himself.

Kenny quickly turned around the edge of the building. In front of Stan, the large opening had a surface of cobblestone. The open area led up to a raised, large, wooden train platform. There were some stairs on the corner of the platform leading up to it. The passenger train was hooked up next to the platform. There were several passenger cars behind the engine. Dim lights shined inside the cars. Stan couldn't find one seat that wasn't empty.

In the distance, Stan heard the loud rumble of the biker's motorcycle approaching. "Kenny!" Eric yelled. Kenny lightly turned his head to meet Cartman's gaze. "We've got company, he's coming up behind us!" Cartman warned.

"We need to take that train to get out of here." Kenny replied between panting breaths. "Keep going Cartman!"

The train's horn blasted through the night. Stan could still hear the rider's motorcycle approaching from behind him. The train engine thrusted forward. The train cars shook, and slowly began rolling forward. 'Please…please Kyle….' Stan wished. 'Keep us safe.' Stan could feel the blood beating in his ears. His heart was beating so fast, he felt as if he was going to explode from the pressure.

Kenny charged for the wooden platform. Stan laid against Kenny and watched the train intensely with his blue eyes. 'I believe in him...' He was surprised when he felt Kenny ascending the wooden steps up to the platform. 'We're up the steps…but can we make the train?' Stan wondered with curiosity. Stan jumped when he heard the sound of screeching tires below him where Kenny had ascended moments.

"Go!" Cartman said loudly. "He's coming for us!"

"You aren't getting away!" the rider shouted after them. "We're almost there!" Kenny said as he stared ahead at the train. Stan raised his head in disbelief, he was becoming excited as he saw Kenny was quickly approaching the final car of the train. The train was slowly moving away. The caboose was passing across the platform, just another car behind from where Kenny was running straight towards. With Kenny's running, it was sure to be a close call whether or not they would make it.

"I told you to stop!" The rider shouted angrily. The rider grunted angrily. Stan heard his boots slam against the wooden platform as he sprinted after them. The front end of the caboose was directly in front of Stan and Kenny now. At the very end of the train, at the rear of the caboose, there was a small, rectangular cover on top of the car that offered shelter from the rain. There was also a small, wooden surface beneath it. There were metal bars against the end of the caboose.

"We're jumping." Kenny ordered Cartman. 'Oh no...' Stan thought. There was seemingly a lot of space between the platform and the caboose. Cartman nodded. "Right!" "Hold on tight, Stan." Kenny instructed. Stan braced himself as Kenny approached the edge of the platform.. The back end of the caboose was directly in front of them. Kenny's decision would decide whether Stan lived or died tonight. Stan felt Kenny gather as much energy as he could, and leaped over the narrow space between the platform and the back end of the train. Stan closed his eyes tightly.

'We're on our way, Kyle...'

Stan couldn't believe it when he hit the wooden surface with an uncomfortable 'thud.' Stan tumbled onto the floor on his back. Kenny was panting on top of him. Kenny was surprisingly light against Stan's body. The blond was panting heavily. Stan gasped when he saw a knife soar over Kenny's head, just inches away from stabbing him. The knife wooshed past Stan and Kenny. Sweat trickled down his face, and he let out a happy sigh of relief. At Kenny's flank, Cartman was lying on his back staring up at the wooden cover of the caboose. He had made the jump, too. Stan wished he would have seen him.

"We made it." Cartman huffed.

Stan tilted his head in a panic towards the platform. The train bumped underneath him. The rider stood stiffly on the edge, staring at Stan. While Stan couldn't see his eyes, he could feel the rider's eyes burning into him specifically. Stan thought that for just a moment, he saw glowing red eyes behind the helmet visor.

'I hate you.' The rider seemed to communicate telepathically with Stan.

The train began increasing speed, and the rider was becoming smaller. The train passed by several buildings, and Stan heard its horn blow up ahead. Kenny was panting on top of Stan, struggling to catch his breath. Kenny pushed himself up onto his knees. He sat next to Stan and placed a gentle hand under Stan's head. Kenny pulled Stan's head up slowly, and allowed him to rest against his arm. "Are you OK?" Kenny asked sweetly. "I know it wasn't a soft landing…but we're on our way Stan…Kyle is waiting for us. Stan felt his eyes water, but not from sadness.

Stan was starting to feel happy, happier than he had ever been since Kyle left.

"I know…" Stan choked out. Stan looked up at Kenny. "You saved my life...And kept your promise...thank you, Kenny." Stan saw Kenny's face turn red hot with embarrassment and look away.

Stan lurched forward, sitting up on his own. He pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Stan was shaking slightly now. He tried to calm his mind now that everything was OK. Stan unwrapped his arms from around his legs and pressed his feet against the ground. He stood up, and moved to the rear of the caboose. He placed his wet hands against the metal bars, and watched his home town slowly disappearing into the distance. The buildings were becoming thinner. Stan could see a large field past several buildings.

Cartman and Kenny stood up to join Stan. Kenny walked over and stood next to Stan on his left. Kenny hunched over and gripped the bars with his hands. Cartman mimicked Kenny to the right side of Stan. "We're all leaving…" Stan said in disbelief. "It's really happening…"

Kenny was staring longingly around him as the train pulled away. 'Thank you for everything…' Stan felt a lump in his throat. Tears began streaming down his face. "Crap…" Stan said. He quickly pulled a wet arm up to wipe away the tears from his already soaked face. 'Get stronger, starting now.' Stan urged himself.

"There's something else we need to talk about..." Cartman said sullenly. "I don't know what just happened…" Cartman reflected. "But I have the feeling something bad is about to happen."

"Don't say that." Kenny replied enthusiastically. "We're going to find Kyle, together! That's a good thing!" Cartman nodded, though he seemed unsure. "We'll do whatever we can." the chubby boy agreed.

Stan suddenly realized his back felt light. "Wait a minute…" Stan reached around and felt nothing against his back. "M-My backpack!?" Stan asked in shock. "Where is it?!" Stan remembered he hadn't taken it out of the car. "How could I be so stupid?!" Stan asked in shock as he stepped around the back end of the caboose. His eyes darted back and forth, but only finding nothingness. Stan felt a hand on his shoulder, he shrugged it away. "Stan…" Cartman said.

"That had everything I needed in it!" Stan said in an angry panic. "No…No!" he cried out.

"Hey!" Cartman shouted. Stan turned to him slowly. Cartman patted his own shoulder. Stan's jaw dropped and he glowed inside when he realized there were two straps around Cartman's shoulders.

"Cartman…Is that my backpack?" Stan asked in disbelief. Stan's face lit up with energy. "Yes, it is." Cartman smiled. "I was in the back seat, remember? You got out first, but I noticed you left it inside, so I grabbed it real quick." Stan tilted his head. "Wow…so you were running WITH weight on your back when you jumped…impressive." He complimented Eric. Cartman frowned. "Impressive for someone like me?" Cartman asked with newfound irritation. "What?" Stan asked, confused. Cartman shook his head. "Sorry, never mind…"

"Hey." Kenny said, placing a hand on Stan's shoulder. "We're almost away from South Park now." Kenny informed Stan. Stan noticed this was true. The train was now going through a large field. It wouldn't be soon before they crossed the county line and were on to new territory. Wet green grass swayed around the boys from the stormy weather. In the distance, South Park was becoming smaller. It was a shadowy little town, with just a few shining lights coming from its buildings and street lights. "There's a tunnel we go through soon." Stan said. "Then that will be the last time we see home for a long time."

Stan stared longingly after his hometown. He secretly wished for nothing more than for Kyle to be back again, back in South Park. He wanted Kyle to be close to him, to hold him again. Stan wanted his tender lips, his pleasing aroma, his red hair…everything about him.

'I promise I'll find you.' Stan thought determinedly. He squeezed his right hand into a fist. Stan pushed his arm into the air. "What are you doing?" Cartman asked, raising an eyebrow. "This is my promise." Stan said. "Let's all make promises as we go off together! From now on…I promise I'm going to get stronger, no matter what." Stan couldn't believe how weak he was in the presence of the rider. Stan felt a feeling of dread inside of him at the thought of the rider.

Kenny stepped over to join Stan and also raised his arm in the air. He squeezed his fist. "I'm going to find Kyle, I'll be the one to do that!" Stan smiled at Kenny, amused. "Challenge accepted." Stan and Kenny turned their heads to Cartman, who was standing seriously with his arms crossed. "Cartman?" Kenny inquired. "Care to contribute." Eric grinned. "Sure..."

Cartman walked over with a mischevious look on his face. He raised his arm high into the air, near Stan and Kenny's fists. "And me...I'm going to sample all the food Sweden has to offer!"

"Let's go!" The boys slapped their fists together in the air. It was a promise they made to each other. Little did they know how far their promises would take them...

The first chapter in their adventure was slowly coming to a close. New adventures were on the horizon…and they were slowly moving towards more bloodshed than they would ever imagine.

**…**

**Elsewhere…**

The stars were twinkling above a young boys head. He stared up at the stars from atop a large, brick clock tower. His back was against the concrete ledge, and his head rested against a soft green hat. His hands were placed gently against his chest. In the distance, the boy could hear the waves lapping lightly at the shore. The city shined beneath him.

He closed his eyes. His mind filled with the image of someone from long ago. His dark black hair was something he missed, perhaps one of his favorite traits.

'Stan…' he thought to himself.

He closed his eyes, and felt a raindrop fall against his cheek.


	31. WT: Blind

_**Author's **_**_Note: _**_It's here, fellow readers! The first chapter of the Wendy's heart arc is finally here. These next few chapters are going to be quite interesting and will focus on Wendy's feelings...wonder where those feelings will go? For those of you who may not have read the previous A/N, chapter 35 will mark the end of BOOK 1 in the Tale of Storms series. _

_I promise the final chapter of book 1 will be epic!_

_Without further wait, enjoy the next installment! Will update as soon as I can! :)_

Chapter 31 – Blind

**POV: **Wendy Testaburger

"South Park suffered a major storm last night." The man on the television reported. "During the storm, an unknown assailant had murdered several of South Park's police officers. The South Park Police Department disclosed that they believed they knew a reason behind the mass killings, but will not reveal any additional information at this time. Meanwhile, the police department has warned everyone to remain indoors during night until the situation is under control. We will now present to you the images of the fallen officers."

The pictures of the officers began flashing across the T.V. screen.

Wendy Testaburger sat at the large dining room table inside the Testaburger household. Wendy gazed down into her bowl of cereal in front of her. She spun the spoon around inside, lapping the milk against the sides. The chandelier above her head was shining into the milk, creating a small glare in the liquid. Wendy was so distracted lately, she didn't' pay much attention to the news.

Wendy's house was very quiet this morning. She couldn't sleep well these past few days. She had gotten up early to try to start her day, though she hadn't felt awake for a few days now. Outside, it was clear that South Park had been hit with a strong storm from the night before. A few small branches were lying around Wendy's front yard, and the sky was a gloomy gray color. Wendy had felt alone since she had broken up with Craig. She recalled a similar feeling when she broke up with Stan a long time ago.

Wendy jumped at the sound of her phone buzzing against the dining room table. Wendy reached for it, and lifted it up to her face. She tapped away at her screen, and saw she had received a new message from Bebe.

'Hey Wendy, do you want to hang out today?'

Wendy sighed. She didn't want to be around many people lately. Breaking up with Craig was one of the most heart-wrenching decisions she had made in her lifetime. It had all happened so fast, most of it was just a blur to Wendy. Wendy recalled Craig's plea to stay with him. She just couldn't get the image of Craig crying on the sand beneath her out of her head. She could perfectly imagine him begging her with all his might for her to stay with him.

'He just couldn't open up to me…' Wendy thought with a frown. Wendy felt the tears build up in her eyes. She stared at her cell phone, contemplating her response to Bebe.

'Sorry, I'm busy today.' Wendy tapped back in the phone. She sent the message to Bebe, and thumped the phone down on the table. Wendy let out a long sigh. 'Will this ever end?' Wendy tried eating her cereal slowly, she just wanted the time to pass. 'It just feels like the same routine…over and over…yet the world still turns…' Wendy thought bitterly.

Wendy couldn't believe she was alone yet again. Both of her break-ups had been from her choice, and her's alone. Wendy thought back to the day she had broken up with Stan. She closed her eyes tightly and shook her head as she felt a pang of sadness. 'Craig…' Wendy wondered about him. 'Why was he so reluctant to open up to me? Did he not trust me enough?' Wendy always wanted to know more about Craig. Wendy was mostly frustrated at the fact that after over a year of dating, Craig just hadn't made an effort to open up to her. Wendy wanted to know everything about him, but he wouldn't fulfill her desires. She didn't know his family, his past, his feelings, everything was so mysterious about him.

'I still wonder about him…' Wendy could tell there was a look in Craig's eyes the last time she saw him that bothered her. Something about him seemed to be changing, but Wendy couldn't figure him out at all. In the back of her mind, she was still worried about Craig. His mysterious persona always made her question whether or not he was OK.

'I just don't know…' Wendy closed her eyes and leaned forward. She rested her forehead against her fingers and closed her eyes. She rubbed her temple, trying to soothe a recurring headache. She knew that she had the option to go over to Craig's house and speak to him, but she wasn't sure Craig would want her to do that. He was always angered whenever she would mention his parent's.

'Even when I was dating Stan…he at least let me see his parents…' Wendy couldn't believe she just let that thought fly through her head. 'No,no,no…Stan's gone…remember, Wendy? You left him…' Wendy felt a pang in her chest at the thought of her breakups. 'Stan doesn't even know the truth about things though…'

'I left Craig…and now I'm all alone again…' Wendy felt as if her heart was eating away at her very soul. Her emotional burden was increasing every day. Wendy felt as if she could absolutely never get anywhere with her life. She felt stuck, trapped, and as if life was moving as slow as possible.

'I need to go out…and interact with some people...' Wendy thought to herself. It was still early in the morning, there was plenty of time left in the day. 'Maybe hanging out with Bebe is a good idea after all...'

Wendy pushed her chair back from the table and stood up. She strolled into the kitchen and dumped her leftover milk down the sink. Wendy made sure to turn on the faucet. She watched the bowl fill up with water, then overflow. Something about the image spoke to Wendy in a way she wasn't sure about.

The big storm from last was over with. 'I might as well make this day well spent.' Wendy decided. For the past few days, Wendy hadn't even bothered to leave the house. She mostly just sat up in her room on her laptop for days. She tried listening to music and browsing the web. She just wanted to get her mind off of Craig, but the fact she broke up with him hung over her like a dark storm cloud. Her heart was aching from her loneliness.

Wendy hated the fact she woke up to an empty bed again, day after day. When Wendy had dated Stan, he had actually snuck over a few times, and the two had fallen asleep in Wendy's bed together a few times. Wendy remembered how she had felt complete when she had someone she could hold on to, she wanted nothing more than to find an absolutely perfect person. She wanted someone she could hold onto, that she knew loved her the same passionate way.

'Stan didn't care about me, and Craig didn't love me enough to open up to me…after over a year of dating him…'

Wendy felt her decision of breaking up with Craig would remain the same. 'Maybe I should just move on…' she thought. 'I should probably spend some time with other people…I wonder what Bebe is doing…' Wendy thought about her blonde friend. She hadn't been around Bebe at all this summer, mostly because Wendy was spending a lot of time with Craig, and Bebe was usually with her own group of friends.

Wendy strolled up to her bedroom and sat back down on her un-made bed. She pulled out her cell phone and tapped away at the screen. Within a minute, she sent a message to Bebe.

'Sorry, Bebe. Change of plans, what are you doing today?'

Minutes later Wendy's phone vibrated.

'I might be going over to Clyde's…you can come too if you want.'

'Clyde?' Wendy thought. She didn't know Bebe had been spending time with Clyde lately. Wendy hardly even knew Clyde. Wendy figured her parents would be up soon. It was still somewhat early in the morning, but her parent's liked to sleep in on the weekend.

'I might as well go…better there than here' Wendy decided. The thought of being around her parents didn't appeal much to her. Wendy constantly felt fake living at home with them. Wendy tapped away at her phone's screen again.

'Sure, where is Clyde's house?'

**…**

'I can't believe I'm actually doing this…' Wendy thought as she was approaching Clyde's house. She saw there were no car's in Clyde's drive-way, so she guessed Clyde's father wasn't home. 'I hope his dad knows there are girls over…' Wendy wanted to avoid any sort of conflict right now. She certainly didn't want her parents to get the wrong idea she was over at a boy's house without supervision. 'What wrong is a little fun?' Wendy thought.

Wendy approached Clyde's brown house with caution. The sky was still gray overhead, and Wendy was still a bit sleepy, but she forced herself to stay determined. 'It will be good for me…' she told herself. Wendy stepped up to Clyde's front door, raised her arm, and rasped a few times on the door.

Wendy listened carefully, but didn't hear any sound from inside the house. 'They should be home, right?' she wondered. Wendy jumped as she heard the thumping of loud footsteps coming down the stairs from inside Clyde's house. 'Coming!' Wendy heard Bebe call from the other side. Wendy heard the door make a click sound, and the door opened up to Wendy's beautiful best friend. Bebe greeted Wendy with a smile. "Hey, Wendy! How's your summer been?" Bebe asked charmingly. She pulled the door open and extended an arm into Clyde's house. "Come on in!"

Wendy smiled and stepped into Clyde's cozy home. Bebe shut the door behind her. Wendy observed Clyde's house for a moment. Immediately in front of Wendy was Clyde's living room. Directly next to the living room against the back wall was a set of stairs that led upwards. Wendy could see two more doorways on this floor. One was at the far end of the living room, leading into the kitchen. The other was situated at the base of the stairs, which led into the dining room. 'He has a fairly nice house.' Wendy thought. All the furniture seemed somewhat fancy. It wasn't bad for a cozy home.

"My summer is going awesome!" Wendy finally replied. Wendy gave a girly squeal and threw her arms around Bebe. "I haven't seen my bestie all summer!" Wendy released her grip around Bebe.

"It's good to see you Wendy." Bebe said with a smile. "How are you and Craig doing?"

That question was something Wendy was hoping to avoid.

"Uhm…" Wendy had to try with all her might to retain her emotions. 'Don't slip here…keep it together…' Wendy thought to herself. "We're not together anymore." Wendy formed a straight line with her lips.

Bebe looked at Wendy with a concerned look. "Oh no…I'm sorry Wendy, I didn't know…"

"It's OK…" Wendy said quietly. She avoided eye contact with Bebe for a moment. "So where is Clyde at?" Wendy asked. Bebe frowned, as if she was hoping Wendy would tell her more. "He's upstairs in his room…Uhm…Wendy…are you…'OK' to go upstairs?" Bebe asked, concerned.

"I'm fine, let's just have a good time." Wendy gave a weak smile.

"Alright…Well let's go!" Bebe said excitedly. She raced up the stairs. Wendy giggled and followed after her. At the top of the stairs was a narrow hallway. Bebe dashed into the first room on the right. Wendy slowed her pace before she entered Clyde's room. She walked into a giggling Bebe standing near Clyde. Inside Clyde's room, Clyde was lying back on his bean bag in front of his flat-screen T.V., which was mounted to the wall. Clyde cranked his head to greet the new visitor. "Hey, Wendy." He said coolly.

"Hey Clyde." Wendy said sweetly. "How has your summer been?"

"Not too exciting." Clyde admitted. "Hey, where is Craig at? Bebe said you might bring him over?" Wendy darted her eyes to Bebe. Bebe hung her head low in embarrassment and fear. Wendy was becoming frustrated at all these constant reminders, but she forced herself to suppress her feelings. "We're not together anymore." Wendy said flatly. "We broke up just a few days ago…"

Clyde tilted his head and gave Wendy a sympathetic look. "Sorry…it's just…he's still my best friend, I haven't seen him in ages…I hope you both feel better." Clyde said sincerely.

"It's fine." Wendy dismissed the issue. Wendy walked over and plopped down on another bean bag next to Clyde. She scooted over on the cushion a bit and patted the open space next to her. Wendy glanced at Bebe, beckoning her to join. "We should watch a movie." Wendy suggested.

"Sure!" Bebe said. "What should we watch?"

Clyde rubbed his chin. "How about Terrance and Phillip: Asses of Fire?" Wendy and Bebe both shot Clyde instant 'no' looks. "How about a chick-flick?" Bebe suggested, winking at Wendy. Wendy giggled lightly. "Sure." She said. Clyde sighed. "It's my house, you know."

Bebe stepped over to Clyde. Clyde looked up at her. "Is someone grumpy?" Bebe teased. Bebe jumped on the bean bag next to Clyde and hugged him tightly across the torso. Bebe raised her head to where she was inches from Clyde's face. "Fine, we can watch what you want. Just make us some popcorn, OK?" Bebe asked sweetly.

"Alright." Clyde gave into Bebe's request. Clyde wiggled out from underneath Bebe. "Wanna help?" Clyde asked Wendy as he stood up. Wendy raised her eyebrows. "Help?" she asked. "Well, if we have three bowls, I could use an extra hand…" Clyde explained. Wendy still found his explanation a bit strange. "Alright…sure…" Wendy said carefully, getting up off the bean bag. Wendy followed Clyde outside of his room and downstairs.

'Is he up to something?' Wendy wondered suspiciously. Clyde seemed fine as the two walked downstairs together. Wendy followed Clyde into his spacious kitchen. In the middle of Clyde's kitchen was a large counter with a sink. Wendy stopped by the counter. Clyde walked to one side squatted down. Wendy watched as he opened up the wooden doors at one end and pull out three bowls. He set them carefully on top of the counter, then turned the opposite way and strolled towards the wall, where several cupboards lined the room.

Clyde opened a cabinet and pulled out three small popcorn bags. He studied the instructions on the back of the bags carefully. Moments later, he plopped the first one into the microwave, and rejoined Wendy by the counter. He leaned back against the counter and placed his hands on top of its marble surface. Wendy and Clyde stood there in an awkward silence. Clyde finally spoke.

"Really, Wendy, I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings." Clyde said sincerely.

"It's fine." Wendy said. "You didn't know…and it's over with now anyway."

Clyde gave a small nod. "Listen, uhm…I need to ask you something, and I really hope this doesn't come across as rude…" Wendy turned her head to Clyde with a suspicious look.

Clyde's gaze remained fixed on the floor. "Listen…my dad said that Craig stopped by the restaurant he works at the other day…" Wendy raised an eyebrow, wondering what Clyde was about to say. "My dad said Craig…didn't look 'so good…'" Clyde said awkwardly. "Listen…I know it's not really much of my business, but is it possible you could tell me…did he seem…'OK' to you when you two were dating? He's still my best friend, I just care about him is all…I'm wondering if you noticed anything so that if he is having problems I can do something about it."

Wendy tried yet again to hide her emotions. 'He didn't look good…?' Wendy wondered to herself.

"Craig uhm…" Wendy stuttered. "I think he just has some problems right now…but he wouldn't tell me about anything, so I couldn't help him…" Wendy picked her words carefully.

"My dad told me he came into the restaurant soaked. He said he looked hungry, tired…and my dad said he seemed just...out of it too…he was hanging out with Tweak…" There was a tense silence before Clyde asked an important question. "

Wendy, do you know Tweak has been on heroin for a while now? He told me once about it. He says it 'helps' with his twitchiness…"

"Are you seriously asking if Craig is doing heroin?" Wendy asked in disbelief. Clyde shook his head. "I'm not accusing anything on him, Wendy. It's just Craig is my best friend and I want to make sure he's alright…" Wendy raised an eyebrow. "I mean…I couldn't imagine he'd do that…" Clyde tried to ease the issue.

Wendy stared at the floor in disbelief. 'Is he hurting himself because of me?' she wondered. Wendy had no prior knowledge of Craig hanging out with Tweek, it was strange he'd hang out with him now. Wendy hardly ever spoke to Tweek, but she knew he had some problems. 'Craig...no...he can't be doing this to himself.'

Clyde put his fingers to his head and closed his eyes. "I'm sorry…" he said. "I should mind my own business." Clyde turned to Wendy. "I've never actually had a girlfriend before, so I never knew how it was to break up…" The microwave beeped as the first bag of popcorn was completed. "It's done. " Clyde said, turning and walking over to the microwave. He popped the microwave door open and placed another bag inside. He set the timer and shut the microwave door and returned to the counter. Clyde opened the bag and poured the popcorn into one of the bowls. Clyde rested once again against the counter, crossing his arms.

"You know, we never really got to talk to each other much." Clyde said. "I haven't really talked to a lot of people since my mom died…" Clyde trailed off. Wendy looked at him sympathetically. "I'm sorry." She said. Clyde shook his head. "It's fine…I guess losing a mom made me appreciate relationships a lot more. I'm a lot more open to people, I don't mind telling them about me."

Wendy turned her head to Clyde. The two shared a short look before the microwave beeped again. "One more." Clyde said. Wendy watched Clyde repeat his routine of putting another bag of popcorn in the microwave. Clyde returned to the counter and poured another bag into one of the bowls. Clyde tapped his fingers against the counter. "Hey Wendy…would you maybe like to hang out with Bebe and I tomorrow? We were going to go to the beach together."

Wendy considered Clyde's offer. 'He's being so…nice.' She was admiring how friendly he was being. He seemed like a very open person, without any mysteriousness…unlike Craig. "I don't know…" Wendy said.

"Wait a minute!" Clyde said. "Your Bebe's best friend, she said so to me! You should totally come along with us!" Clyde's eyes twinkled with desire.

"I…" Wendy hesitated.

"What's going on?" Wendy jumped as Bebe walked into the room. "Where is that popcorn?" Wendy was so relieved that Bebe didn't get the wrong idea. "It's almost done." Wendy told her. "Good, I'm starving." Bebe approached Clyde and hugged him around the arm. "I can't wait for a good movie." Bebe said. Bebe eyed Wendy with a strange look. Wendy suddenly felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. "Just a minute." Wendy said. Wendy stepped out of the kitchen and into Clyde's living room. She pulled the phone out of her pocket. The words 'Craig Tucker is Calling' was titled across the phone.

"Wendy, are you ready for the movie?" Clyde asked from the kitchen.

Wendy paused for a moment. 'I don't know what to do...' she thought.

"Wendy?" Bebe called.

"Yeah..." Wendy said. "I'm ready."

Wendy swiped her finger, declining the phone call from Craig.


	32. CT: Unexpected Words

_**Author's Note: **Because I wasn't able to update as quickly as I wanted to, I'm bringing you all a second chapter. :) This chapter was SO difficult to type out, you'll see why. I absolutely love Craig in this story...it sucks to see him go through so many problems. :(  
_

_Thank you for the recent reviews and follows/favs! I appreciate everything! Thank you all so much, I appreciate your dedication!_

_3 more chapters until the end of book 1! HYYYPPPEEEE! :D_

Chapter 32 – Unexpected Words

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Craig stared across the dim, small room at Tweek, who was sitting on the mattress across from him. "Are you sure it's OK I stay here for another trip?" Craig wanted to confirm. Tweek's parents had recently expanded their coffee shop and added another floor to their business in case Tweek wanted to hang out with some of his friends. The upstairs room was fairly nice. The room itself wasn't too big, but there were two queen mattresses, a flat screen T.V. with cable, video game consoles and several video games, and even a mini-fridge. This was enough enjoyment for Craig, he never had the luxury of these things. Tweek had truly been good to him lately.

Tweek pulled a backpack down between his feet up to his own bed and started shuffling through it. "Yeah, it's fine." Tweek replied. "My parents don't really care if I have someone up here once in awhile. If I say I have a friend over they never bother me when I'm here." Craig frowned at Tweek's words. 'I wish I had some friends over once in a while.' He thought to himself.

"Ready to get high again?" Tweek asked excitedly. Craig nodded. "You bet." Craig had injected himself with heroin at least five times now, though he lost count because everything seemed to pass by like a blur as of late. Craig would feel euphoria while under the influence of the drug, then when the effects would wear off, he would start suffering withdrawals. He usually started aching badly, making him crave more of the heroin. He felt being drugged helped him forget the pain of the real world.

Tweek pulled out a clear plastic bag from his backpack that contained the little white seeds, a lighter, a spoon, and a syringe. "Here it is." Tweek said. "Something new and improved from my dealer." Tweek examined the bag carefully. "He said this is supposed to be pretty potent, so it should feel _really_ good…" Craig's hands were shaking from the withdrawals. "Let's do this." He said impatiently.

"Alright, hold on." Tweek said. Tweek reached a hand inside the backpack and pulled out a leather belt. Tweek hopped off the bed with the bag and belt and sat down next to Craig on the other bed. Tweek began to work the belt around Craig's arm. Craig was excited, this was a drug that made everything numb around him. It helped him forget the pain he had to face while he was awake. Tweek had been a good friend to Craig. Craig had been staying at Tweek's for nearly a week now. Craig still dreaded the thought of going home to face his family. 'There's nothing for me there...That's OK, if it weren't for them, I wouldn't need to get high like this.'

Tweek finished wrapping the belt around Craig's arm. Tweek opened the small, clear bag and pulled out a spoon, a lighter, and a small white seed. Tweek dropped the seed inside the spoon and heated it with a lighter. Craig watched as the small white seed started bubbling. Craig was thankful that Tweek had the blinds down in the room. The room was very dim, except for the gloomy gray that shone into the room. Craig felt a bit sleepy, he thought about falling asleep during this trip.

Tweek held the spoon with one hand and plopped the lighter down next to him. He reached into the bag and pulled out the syringe. He lined the needle carefully with the small seed and poked it. Craig watched impatiently as the syringe was loaded with the euphoric liquid. Craig held his arm flat across his knee, palm up. "Flex." Tweek instructed.

Craig looked the other direction and flexed, waiting patiently to feel the needle enter his arm. Craig suddenly felt a cold chill run through his entire body, he didn't even feel the needle go in. Craig turned his head towards where the needle had entered, but his vision already started to become blurry. He barely felt Tweek's hands help him fall back onto the bed. Tweek laid Craig on his side, in case he threw up.

'It begins…' Craig thought.

It was here Craig could escape the harsh reality of his world. The world was prettier under the influence of heroin. While Craig knew it sounded twisted, he felt the heroin was the only thing potentially keeping his sanity together.

But when he woke up, Craig felt no one cared about him. Not his family, not his love, no one.

Craig was all alone in his world.

**…**

"Craig." Craig heard Tweek's soft voice whisper. Tweek lightly shook Craig. "Are you awake?" Craig blinked a few times, trying to wake up. He was just coming down from his trip. "Kinda." Craig said softly. He felt so sleepy. He didn't even know what had happened since he started his trip. This last drug experience was unlike anything Craig had ever felt before, it felt even better than the last few trips.

Craig adjusted his position in his bed and sat up slowly. He put his fingers to his forehead, he felt a little dizzy. "What's up?" Craig asked tiredly.

"Look, I really like having you around, but don't you want to go home at some point?" Tweek asked.

Tweek's question made Craig's blood run faster. He shook his head. "No…I can't go back home." Tweek sat down near Craig's feet. "Why not? Did you get in a fight or something?" Tweek asked. Craig lowered his eyes to the floor, he couldn't tell what time it was, the room was the same gloomy gray color as it had been when he started his last trip.

"It's complicated." Craig explained.

Tweek frowned. "You can tell me if you'd like." The blond offered.

"I just can't, Tweek." Craig tried to say firmly.

Tweek sighed. "I'm sorry, Craig. But you just can't stay here forever. You have to go home at some point."

"I don't want to!" Craig exclaimed. Tweek looked taken aback from Craig's sudden outburst. "There's nothing but hell waiting at home for me…" Craig raised his knees to his face and lowered his head down between his knees. "Don't make me go, Tweek…" Craig tried pleading.

Tweek lightly squeezed the bed sheets with one hand. "My parent's texted me and asked when you were going to go home…I told them soon. I'm not trying to be rude and kick you out, it's just…you DO have a home. Even if you are having problems, we all have parental troubles."

Craig raised his head to Tweek. "My dad hates me, Tweek." Tweek's lips formed a hard line. "I'm sure he doesn't." Tweek said. "He does." Craig argued. Tweek sighed. "Every father loves their son, even if it's just a little bit, there's still at least some love there. You can't run from your problems forever, Craig. You have to face them sooner or later. Whatever happens between you and your dad, I'm sure it will get better. You have to make it better on your own."

Craig sighed. He did feel like he could use a shower, some fresh clothes, and a warm bed. However, he knew he would go home to an abusive family, and wouldn't even have the presence of Stripes to keep him company.

'There's only one thing I can do…' Craig thought.

"Tweek…I need to tell you something, but you can't tell anyone." Craig said. Tweek tilted his head. "Sure, I'm here for you."

"OK…" Craig said, taking a sharp inhale. "My dad….he…."

There was a tense silence as Craig contemplated his next words.

"He…he beats me. That's where I got these bruises from..."

The entire world seemed to have gone silent. Craig couldn't look into Tweek's eyes. He could feel Teek's eyes widen and stare at him with concern.

"He…what?!" Tweek asked in disbelief.

"Don't tell anyone." Craig said. "I know it's asking a lot Tweek…but is it at ALL possible I could stay here? Just until I get things sorted out?"

Tweek scratched the back of his head. "I don't know, man. I don't think my parent's would like you here for a long time."

"Please Tweek, you're the only option I have."

Tweek's eye twitched. "Agh! The pressure!" Tweek blurted out. The blond started shaking a little bit. Tweek breathed deeply a few times. "You can stay here a few more days, that's the most I can promise." Tweek explained. "Just try to get things sorted out as soon as possible, OK?" Tweek said carefully.

Craig smiled. "Thank you Tweek. I'll go home and get a few things, I'll be back."

"Are you sure you'll be OK going home?" Tweek asked with concern.

"I'm tough." Craig lied. "I'll be fine." He knew he had to face his problems by himself.

Craig hopped up out of the bed and headed for the door. Craig flung open the door and turned back to Tweek. "I'll see you soon." Craig left the room and hopped down the stairs. At the bottom of the stairs, there were two doors. One in front of Craig led to the coffee shop. The other door on the left led to the outside. Craig decided to go through the left door.

'Home…' Craig thought as he began walking away from the coffee shop towards his home.

Craig allowed his thoughts to wander as he journeyed along the sidewalk. He stared up at the gray sky.

'Wendy was the only one I ever fell in love with. She doesn't want me. My father hates me, hits me, he thinks I'm a troublemaker. I'm garbage, I'm worthless, and I'm just someone he wouldn't mind seeing dead. My mother turns a blind eye to everything and doesn't care about me. My younger sister doesn't see me as a role model…just a troublemaker.'

Craig closed his eyes and prayed. 'Grandma…I hope you're watching over me. I'm sorry I'm doing things you wouldn't like, I'm just so confused. Please be with me…'

Craig thought about Wendy a lot on his way home. He missed her smile, her hair, and everything about her. 'I'm sorry I couldn't tell you anything.' Craig thought. 'It's just…I didn't want you to be afraid of me…I still love you, I always will…'

**…**

'I'm here.' Craig was standing on the sidewalk in front of his home. There were no cars parked in his driveway, much to Craig's relief. "I'll make this quick." Craig told himself. Craig took a deep breath and ran for his front door. Craig tapped his pocket as he ran, he still had his house keys with him. Craig pulled them out as he ran up his steps and arrived at his front door. His keys made jingling noises as Craig quickly worked to unlock his front door. He twisted the key in the lock and flung the front door open. Craig quickly examined his surroundings, he wanted to make sure no one was home. Craig closed the front door and quickly skimmed around the lower floor of the house. 'No one is here.' He discovered.

Craig jogged for the base of the stairs and dashed up to his room. He flung his door open and paused when he entered his room. There were so many memories in here. Craig eyed the blood stains on the floor from where his dad had beaten him last time. Craig nearly began crying when he saw the empty cage at the far end of his room. 'I miss you, Stripes…' Craig clenched his fists. 'Be strong.' he told himself.

Craig sighed and ran for his messy bed. His blue backpack sat at the foot of his bed. Craig snatched his backpack up and quickly began running around the room. He pulled out his dresser drawers, and stuffed what few clothes he had into the backpack. Craig then dashed into the bathroom connected to his room. He stopped by his shower and flung the shower curtain open. He quickly pulled out his hygiene products and stuffed them in a separate pouch in his backpack. Craig turned and grabbed everything off the sink counter and pushed them into his bag. 'That's all I need.' Craig figured.

Craig ran out of his bathroom, but stopped when he saw the rodent cage nearby. It hurt Craig to think his furry rodent friend was gone. He and Stripes had shared so many memories together. Even if he was just a rodent, Craig truly believed deep down, Stripes loved him too. Craig stared silently at the empty cage. He didn't even hear someone enter his room.

"Where the hell have you been?!" a familiar, gruff voice sounded from Craig's bedroom door. Craig turned quickly towards his bedroom door. His entire body started shaking in fear. Craig's eyes widened as he made eye contact with a familiar pair of hateful eyes. 'It's…him…' Craig's eyes remained fixed on his father's eyes. "You don't love your own family? You just want to run away because you can't grow up? Why don't you stop causing trouble for once?"

Craig wasn't even sure what to say at this moment. 'If Wendy knew about this…' Craig shut his eyes for a moment. 'Wendy...if you heard this...would you come back to me? I just want some happiness for once...'Craig sighed. 'I'm doing this.'

Craig quickly pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Wendy on speed-dial. Craig's father instantly began running for Craig in anger. Craig winced and threw his phone back into the bathroom. He heard his phone slap against the wall, then land on the bathroom floor. Craig hoped Wendy would hear this, and perhaps then she would know the truth and love Craig again. Craig just wanted someone to love him at this point, whatever it took.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Craig's father screamed as he ran towards Craig. Craig's father extended his arms and pushed Craig very hard against the wall. Craig's back shot with pain. Craig listened to his phone vibrating on the bathroom floor nearby, hoping to hear Wendy's voice. Then faintly, he heard his phone go to Wendy's voice mail. Before Craig could fall to the floor, his father had pinned him to the wall with a strong arm against his neck. His father gave him a smug look.

"That's all you ever do Craig. You run away. Now I thought I told you not to cause any trouble. So what do you think you're doing calling someone when we're talking?" Craig's father grinned at him. Craig lowered his head. He felt his heart beating in his ears. He was so afraid. He braced his body for immense pain. At this same time, all his emotions began to surface. Craig tried his hardest to keep back the water forming in his eyes. 'I just…can't take it anymore…' Craig thought. 'I just want him to...'

"Kill me." Craig said. His black hair covered his eyes as his gaze remained fixed on the floor.

Craig's father frowned. "Grow up. be a man." He nudged his arm harder into Craig's throat. Craig's breathing became shallower, and his back was still hurting. "I said…" Craig said quietly. Then Craig finally exploded.

"KILL ME!" Craig screamed at the top of his lungs. Craig raised his head and the tears burst from his eyes. "I CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE! IF YOU HATE ME SO MUCH! KILL ME! PUT A BULLET BETWEEN MY EYES! BEAT ME TO DEATH! DO WHATEVER! JUST STOP DOING THIS TO ME!"

Craig's father seemed unmoved by his words. "What makes you think you should die?" he asked.

Craig's blue eyes twinkled with sadness. More tears burst from his eyes.

"Because…" Craig choked. "I…"

"Spit it out!" his father screamed.

Craig smiled at his father. "Because…I love you."

Craig suddenly felt all the breath leave his body from a strong punch to his gut. Craig grabbed his stomach and felt his father's arm release him. Craig panted, hunched over. Craig's father punched upwards into Craig's face. Craig saw blood fly through the air as he stumbled backwards. Craig fell backwards and hit the wall again. Craig's father raised a leg and hit Craig hard in the side. Craig slammed into the floor, and his vision started fading.

'I'll love you too, no matter what...'

Craig closed his eyes, and his tears streamed into the carpet.

Craig faded into darkness once again.


	33. WT: Loyal to the End

**_Author's Note: _**_Book 1 is almost done(Hey, that rhymes!) ! I'm so grateful for everyone who has stuck with my story. I really went through a lot of editing today to try to make up for the chapters I haven't been able to get to. I've been working really hard just because I love my dedicated fans soso much. I can't thank you all enough for taking such interest in my story. I'm already approaching 10,000 views and it has only been a few months. You are all my inspiration and I can't wait to get to the future books. It'll be a fun adventure together. This FanFiction has really given me a lot of ideas for future stories and writing techniques. You are all SUPER awesome._

_Please consider leaving a review, you're all fantastic! *brofist*_

**_CHAPTER 34 AND 35 - THE BOOK 1 FINALE WILL BE RELEASED SATURDAY AT 8 P.M. EASTERN U.S.A. TIME! :) _**

Chapter 33 – Loyal to the End

**POV: **Wendy Testaburger

Wendy stared into her bathroom mirror as she finished braiding her hair. 'I'm hanging out with Clyde and Bebe today.' She rehearsed in her head several times. Wendy had just gotten out of the shower and was freshening herself up in preparation of her day with Bebe and Clyde. They were supposed to meet at the beach today.

Wendy's phone buzzed on the sink counter. 'Incoming call from Bebe Stevens' was titled across the screen. Wendy finished tying her hair and reached down to her phone. She snatched it up and accepted the call from Bebe. "Hello?" she asked, the phone to her ear.

"Hey Wendy, its Bebe." Wendy heard her blond friend speak. "Clyde and I are already at the beach. They're having a three versus three volleyball tournament today. Clyde wants to play, would you be interested in being on a team with me and him?" Wendy considered the option. She was never really much of a sports player, but she figured she should have some fun today.

"Sure, I'll be there in about twenty minutes." Wendy replied.

"See you soon." Bebe said, hanging up shortly after.

Wendy set the phone back down on the sink counter. She continued teasing her hair until it was just how she wanted it to be. Wendy eyed her phone, she couldn't get Craig's phone call out of her mind. Something about the time he was called and the fact she declined his phone call made her wonder what Craig was up to. Wendy thought maybe she made a mistake, maybe Craig needed help of some sort.

'Should I call him?' Wendy considered the option. Then again, she wondered if Craig was just going to offer countless pleas to get back together without him explaining a single thing. 'I don't think so.' Wendy decided. 'I'll wait a bit longer.'

**…**

"Hey, Wendy!" Bebe greeted Wendy as she stepped onto the sandy shore next to the lake. The sun was out today, it was shining brightly and made the day beautiful. There was a slight breeze, making the volleyball net not far from Bebe sway gently. There were a few other people standing around the net in anticipation of the game.

"Hey Bebe, where's Clyde?" Wendy looked around. Clyde wasn't with Bebe.

"He's getting ready." Bebe chuckled. "He has to look like a jock before he plays…it's cute." She added, giggling.

"Hey Wendy!" Wendy heard Clyde's voice sound behind her. Wendy whisked around and met Clyde's smiling face and deep brown eyes. Wendy saw what Bebe said was true. Clyde was wearing athletic shoes, designer athletic shorts, and a fancy looking sports top. Wendy noticed Clyde had some firm muscle on his arms, something she never really picked up on before. 'He's strong…' Wendy thought.

"Hey!" Wendy finally replied. "Ready to get started?" Clyde nodded. "I already signed you up for the game. We're only doing one round today, and progressing one more round every week. Our match should start in about ten minutes. Want to go sit in the shade while we wait?" Clyde offered Wendy and Bebe. Wendy and Bebe exchanged looks and nodded, their gazes returned to Clyde. "Sure." Bebe said sweetly. "Alright." Wendy agreed. Clyde grinned at Bebe and the three walked over to a group of picnic benches situated underneath a large metal roof.

Wendy walked alongside Bebe. Clyde walked slightly in front of them. Bebe leaned towards Wendy's ear. "He's sooo cute." She whispered. Wendy giggled lightly and looked at Bebe. Bebe's eyes told Wendy she had a crush on Clyde. "Nice." Wendy whispered back.

Clyde found an empty picnic bench in the shade and had a seat with Wendy and Bebe. "So Wendy, how are things with you?" Clyde asked. Wendy gave a friendly smile. "Pretty good, I'm enjoying getting to hang out with you both." Wendy eyed Bebe and Clyde. "You both are great to get my mind off of things." There was a short silence. "Well, we _ARE_ awesome." Clyde said, half-jokingly. Bebe laughed at Clyde's joke.

Bebe nudged Wendy lightly with her knee. Bebe raised her eyebrows. Wendy figured Bebe was trying to communicate with her the fact she found Clyde so funny. 'She really likes him…' Wendy observed. Wendy had to admit, she missed being able to feel the way Bebe felt. Wendy remembered when she had felt that way about Craig. She wanted to know everything about him, and discover more about his personality and past.

'Who knows if he'll ever tell me?' Wendy wondered.

"So Wendy." Clyde started. "What else did you do this summer?"

"Oh you know. Mostly just enjoyed the nature." Wendy said as a half-truth. She did like the nature, but she mostly spent the time absorbing the nature with Craig. She could still remember the day her and Craig sat on the grass together next to Stark's Pond. It was such a perfect day for her…

Wendy realized Clyde and Bebe were staring at Wendy in expectation she would continue the conversation. Wendy shook her head and laughed nervously. "Sorry…" she said.

"No worries." Clyde said. "You probably have a lot on your mind lately. Hopefully we can make you feel better." Clyde said sincerely.

Bebe nudged Wendy again. 'She probably likes how nice he is, too.' Wendy thought. Clyde grinned at Wendy. "You should hang out with us more often. Do you text?" Clyde asked. Wendy nodded. "Yes, I do." Wendy and Clyde exchanged numbers with each other. "Text me, anytime." Clyde offered. Wendy grinned nervously. "Thanks."

"We should probably head down to the volleyball game…" Bebe prompted. Wendy nodded. "Right, let's go." Wendy saw the other team of three down at the beach near the net. They were all people she had never seen before. There were two boys with brown hair, bathing suits, and sleeveless tops. Then there was another girl in sweat pants and an athletic top. Wendy wore almost the exact same clothes, except her top was purple and her sweat pants were black with a white stripe along the sides. "Let's do this!" Clyde said cheerfully. Clyde raised his hand into the air, prompting Wendy for a high five. Wendy raised her hand and smacked his. "Woo!" Clyde said, turning to Bebe. Bebe and Clyde high-fived as they approached the sandy shore. "I'll take front and center." Clyde explained. "Bebe, take the back-left. Wendy, take the back right." The three got into position in front of the volleyball net, in the shape of a loose triangle.

The boy that was front and center on the other side of the net nodded to Clyde. "Good luck." He said to Clyde. "Likewise." Clyde nodded back. "Alright…" the other boy said. Wendy prepared herself as the boy prepared to serve the ball. The boy tossed the ball lightly into the air. Wendy watched the ball carefully. The boy thumped the ball with his wrist, and it soared through the air. It passed over Clyde's head and headed in Bebe's direction. "Got it!" Bebe exclaimed. Bebe stepped back a few steps, and thumped the ball hard. The volleyball flew back to the other side of the net. It headed straight for the only girl, she attempted to hit it, but missed. The volleyball hit the sand on the other side. "One point!" Clyde said excitedly. The few spectators on the sidelines clapped, interested in the game. "How many points are we playing until?" Wendy asked Clyde. "Five." Clyde responded.

"Alright…" Wendy said.

"Your serve." Clyde nodded to the boy on the other side. "Alright." The boy said. The girl on the other side tossed the ball to the leader. The boy eyed Clyde's side of the net carefully, taking note of the formation of Clyde, Wendy, and Bebe. The boy tossed the ball into the air and thumped it. The volleyball flew over the net and soared straight for Wendy. "Wendy!" Clyde called. "Got this!" Wendy said, determined. Wendy carefully stepped back a few paces. She focused on the volleyball. Wendy mistakenly hit the volleyball further up on her arm than she should have, and the volleyball bounced sideways and out of bounds. "Yes!" the other team cheered. Wendy felt her face turn hot with embarrassment. "Sorry…" she said to Clyde. "No problem." Clyde said, smiling. "It's all about fun, just enjoy yourself, you deserve it." Wendy smiled back at Clyde. "I'll do my best." Wendy promised.

The game continued on for a few more minutes. Clyde had spiked the volleyball a few times, scoring two points for his team. Bebe hit a good hit that the other boy, the one who wasn't the leader, missed. The leader boy on the other team, Wendy thought, was actually very skilled at volleyball. He had scored three more points for his team. The final round was about to happen. The next point would decide which team was victorious. The last team that had scored was the team opposite of Wendy, which meant it was Clyde's turn to serve the ball. 'Come on, Clyde…' Wendy found herself silently cheering him on. 'I believe in you…'

Clyde tossed the ball into the air, and thumped it over to the other side. The leader boy watched as the ball flew over his head. The girl on the other side thumped the ball over the net and towards Wendy. "I've got this!" Wendy said. Wendy put all of her focus into the ball. She focused intensely on the ball. 'I'm doing this!' she promised herself. Wendy grasped both of her hands and thumped the volleyball successfully back over the net. She felt a small tingle of happiness that she had kept the game going.

The non-leader boy on the other side of the net thumped the ball back towards Wendy. 'Again?' Wendy thought. She observed the ball flying towards her and prepared to hit it back once again. Wendy was shocked when she saw the ball curve away from her. There was only one thing she could do to save this game. 'I'm doing this!' Wendy strongly decided. Wendy suddenly leaped sideways through the air in the direction of the volleyball. With her hands gripped tightly together, Wendy swung her wrists towards the volleyball, successfully bouncing it towards Clyde. Clyde saw the ball. As the ball neared Clyde, Clyde leaped, and slammed the volleyball hard with his hand. The ball slammed into the sand on the other side as Wendy hit the sand. "We did it!" Clyde exclaimed excitedly. Wendy raised herself from the sand, smiling at Clyde. "I did it…" she said to herself.

Wendy watched as Clyde ran over to her. "You did it Wendy! That was awesome. Here." Clyde extended his hand to Wendy. Wendy took Clyde's soft hand and Clyde helped her stand up.

"Thanks..." Wendy said, brushing off the sand on her clothing. "You were fantastic." Clyde said with a grin. "You were good too…" Wendy and Clyde exchanged a short glance with each other before Bebe came over. "We did it, you guys!" Bebe cheered excitedly. Wendy smiled. "Yeah, we did it! High five!" Wendy and Bebe high-fived in celebration of their victory.

'I'm having fun…without Craig…'

**…**

Wendy, Bebe, and Clyde spent the entire day having fun together. After the beach volleyball game, they all went to the mall to shop around all the various stores. Wendy was having a lot of fun being with Bebe and Clyde, especially Clyde. Clyde was enthusiastic, and just fun to be around. Wendy also liked the fact Clyde generally seemed open with everything. Not only was he open, he was also kind, caring, and genuinely interested in what Wendy had to say. Wendy was surprised their friendship had evolved so quickly over the course of a single day.

Wendy, Bebe, and Clyde were sitting at a picnic table eating ice cream together underneath the dark sky. The stars were twinkling in the sky when Bebe's phone vibrated in her pocket. "One sec." she said to Clyde and Wendy as she answered the phone. Wendy and Clyde listened for a few moments. "Ok, I'll be right there." Bebe hung up her phone. "My parents want me back now…I guess I'll see you guys tomorrow." Bebe said. "Bye bestie, bye Clyde!" Bebe said. "Bye, Bebe!" Clyde and Wendy said together. "See you soon, probably." Clyde added.

After a few moments, Wendy spoke up. "I had a lot of fun today." Wendy told Clyde with a smile. "You're a lot of fun to be around."

Clyde returned a warm smile. "I like being around you too…you're pretty awesome. I wish we knew each other earlier on…we should talk more…" Clyde twisted his head and stared up into the stars. "The stars are beautiful tonight…do you want to walk together?" Clyde offered. Wendy felt her face grow hot with nervousness. "Uhm…sure…" Wendy was happy Clyde was taking such an interest in her. He seemed to really care about people.

Wendy and Clyde spent a good hour walking along the beach talking about stellar constellations. 'He's smart, too…' Wendy realized. Clyde had a lot of things Wendy liked to see in another person. She couldn't deny he was an ideal friend. Wendy was glad she was able to know him.

Wendy's phone suddenly buzzed in her pocket. Wendy realized in a panic she didn't leave a note for her parents of where she was today. Wendy was very sure she was going to get scolded when she arrived home. "Oh no…" Wendy said out loud.

"What's the matter?" Clyde asked, genuinely concerned. "Sorry…" Wendy said as she checked a text message. 'Where are you young lady?' her mother had texted her. "Sorry, my parents are really strict, I should really be going now." Wendy said sadly.

Wendy raised her head to meet Clyde's eyes. "It was awesome hanging out with you today…I wouldn't mind hanging out again…if you'd want to…" Clyde turned his head and blushed. "Me either….I had a lot of fun today…" Clyde scratched the back of his head. Wendy giggled in amusement. She found it interesting to see the big strong Clyde melt like butter when it came to romance. He really was a flirt.

"I can walk you home, if you want." Clyde offered. Wendy smiled back at him. "Your house is the other direction of mine…that's OK, I'll be fine."

Wendy wanted to enjoy the good mood tonight. "Goodbye Clyde…" Wendy said, smiling. Wendy was suddenly overcome with the sudden urge to hug Clyde. 'Not yet…' Wendy figured. 'He probably isn't too comfo-' her thoughts were cut off by Clyde embracing her. "Bye, Wendy." Clyde said as he held her gently. He released Wendy from his grasp. Wendy nodded awkwardly to Clyde and walked away, blushing.

**…**

Wendy was walking down Main Street and gazing up at the stars on her way home. 'I wonder where you are…Craig…' Wherever he was, Wendy wanted him to heal. 'I still care about you…' Wendy truly did. She certainly didn't want to see anything bad happen to Craig, she just hoped he could move on from everything. 'I think I'm moving on…' Wendy thought, unsure.

Main Street seemed unusually deserted tonight. This was nice for Wendy, though, she enjoyed walking by herself to clear her head. She spent a lot of time thinking about Clyde. When she was around him, Wendy could forget Craig for a little while. Clyde provided her fun she felt she could never get out of Craig. Compared to Clyde, Craig seemed so plain to Wendy. 'I guess we all have to move on…' Wendy thought to herself.

'It certainly has been strange…not being around Craig.' There were some things Wendy _did_ miss about Craig. While he was so mysterious, Wendy felt this made him an interesting person. She, at one point, wanted to know everything about Craig. It was strange though, that he was beat up all of a sudden. Wendy couldn't believe Clyde was suggesting Craig might be doing heroin…Wendy shook her head. 'I'm not a cause of that if that's the case. It's his choice, and his own fault…'

'I don't know….I'm so confused right now…I think I might like Clyde already…but I still haven't given Craig any closure…I should see if I could talk to him…and tell him the truth…' Wendy continued past the buildings on Main Street in deep thought. Wendy's thoughts were disrupted by Wendy noticing a strange figure in front of her.

In front of Wendy, she noticed a shadowy man in a long trench coat and a fedora walking towards her with his head down. Whoever this mysterious person was, they also had a black handkerchief covering their face. Wendy found it strange the way the man was acting, as if he didn't notice Wendy at all. Wendy glanced around, there were no cars travelling down Main Street at this time. Wendy quickly walked across the street to the other sidewalk and continued walking towards home.

Wendy continued walking, remaining cautious. She felt fear shoot through her when she saw the shadowy figure cross the street from the corner of her eye. Wendy started pacing walking a bit faster. Wendy could hear the footsteps increasing speed behind her, when a memory flashed in her mind.

'Citizens are advised to stay inside during nighttime.'

'…No…' Wendy thought, becoming fearful. 'No…keep walking…' Wendy picked up her pace, and she heard the footsteps moving even quicker behind her. Wendy gazed behind her shoulder and saw the figure was nearing her. Wendy met the dark eyes of the man for a moment, and this prompted the figure to charge for her. Wendy bolted away from the man in fear of her life. She heard his rapid footsteps gain up on her.

Before she expected it, Wendy felt an arm around her neck and a gloved palm cover her face. Wendy was jerked back suddenly by the man. She tried to scream, but she was barely heard underneath the gloved hand. 'Oh my God…no!' Wendy thought as the figure dragged her into a nearby alleyway. 'Oh my God, please no…' Wendy squirmed underneath the arms of the figure. She tried to pry his arm away from her neck, but he was simply too strong. Wendy tried kicking the figure, but he just squeezed her tighter and sidestepped her attempts.

Wendy watched helplessly as she was pulled further down the alleyway between two brick buildings. Wendy was suddenly yanked behind an old dumpster. The man pushed her to the ground hard, knocking the wind out of Wendy. Wendy's back scraped against the pavement as the figure climbed on top of her. "No!" she tried screaming a moment too late. Her voice was muffled by the hand pressing against her mouth yet again. Wendy watched in horror as the figure pulled out a small pocket knife and pressed it against Wendy's throat. Wendy could feel her flesh sting slightly as blood welled around her neck.

"Make any sound, and I'll kill you." the man threatened.

Wendy's eyes began filling with tears. She was in total disbelief she was in this moment. 'What did I do to deserve this?' she thought. The figure above her removed his hand from her face and held the knife firmly against her throat. Wendy winced at the blade scraping against her flesh. She couldn't scream, no matter how much the pain. She bit her lip hard, trying to stifle her urge to scream for help. 'I can't believe this is happening to me…' Wendy thought.

Wendy's mind flashed with everyone she had met during her lifetime. She imagined Stan, Bebe, Clyde, Cartman, Kenny, Craig...and everyone she had ever known in her mind. 'If I die here…what will they think of me…?' Tears streamed down Wendy's face as the figure grabbed hold of Wendy's sweat pants. 'This is it…' Wendy thought fearfully. Wendy gazed up at the sky and closed her eyes, wishing to be anywhere else but here.

So many thoughts flashed through Wendy's mind. She thought about all of her regrets if she was to die here. 'I wish I could have spoken to Craig…I wish I could have told Stan the truth…I wish I could spend more time with Clyde…I wish-'

Suddenly, Wendy felt a powerful force above her. Wendy suddenly felt the knife fly away from her throat and the heaviness on top of her go away. Wendy was so afraid, she was in disbelief she hadn't met a horrible fate already. She slowly opened her eyes into the dark night. "What do you think you're doing?!" Wendy heard the man's voice ask angrily. Wendy sat up quickly, trying to see what happened. To her left, the man who had attempted to rape her was staring into a pair of familiar blue eyes.

"Wendy." a boy in a blue hat said.

Wendy's eyes widened. 'That voice…'

Wendy pressed a hand against the wall and stood up slowly. Wendy eyed the source of the familiar voice, and she knew it was him.

Craig was giving a hateful stare at the man who tried to hurt Wendy. Craig was panting heavily from the effort and had one arm stretched across his waist. Craig turned to Wendy. She noticed in horror he had bruises and blood on his face. She couldn't believe how injured he looked, yet he was still trying to save her.

Craig gave her a smile.

"Even if I can't explain everything to you, I still love you, I always will."


	34. CT: Blood Red Eyes

_**Author's Note:** Well everybody, it's the moment a lot of you have been waiting patiently for! The book 1 finale takes place over these next two chapters. I can't believe how crazy the story is about to get. I know this chapter will leave you all excited for the second part of the finale. Now I have to be completely honest, and I'm very sorry about this: I was absolutely SLAMMED with homework this weekend. I still have one BIG assignment to do, I was hoping I could publish two chapters for you all to enjoy the finale at once, but I don't have the time right now to publish two. I'm very very sorry about this and I promise I'll have the book 1 finale out by next Saturday. Again very sorry for the delay, I appreciate your dedication and patience! :)_

Chapter 34 – Blood Red Eyes

**POV:** Craig Tucker

Craig smiled at a frightened Wendy in the darkness. 'This is for her...' Craig thought. Craig whisked his head back towards Wendy's attacker. Craig's entire body ached from his recent pain. He was hurting so bad, and his mind was filled with the memory of his father beating him what didn't seem like long ago. Craig put aside the past thoughts, the only thing he cared about right now was Wendy. The fierce, burning hatred in Craig's eyes reflected his newly found energy. He was burning with determination to protect Wendy at any cost, no matter what that meant.

Craig looked fiercely into the man's dark brown eyes. The man's hat had fallen off, revealing messy, patchy black hair. This man was someone Craig had never seen before, at least as far as he could tell.

"I'll only warn you once." Craig said monotonously. "If you don't leave…I'll…" Craig's words were cut off by a bout of rapid coughing. Craig lifted a hand to his mouth as he coughed. He felt his insides burn as he tried to control his coughing. When he regained control, Craig pulled his hand away from his mouth to see scarlet blood was trickling down his hands. Craig felt slightly dizzy, and a bit lightheaded, too. Craig forced himself to stand as tall as he could, trying his hardest to show confidence.

'I'm protecting her, no matter what!' Craig promised himself.

Wendy's attacker chuckled slightly. Craig gritted his teeth together and glared angrily at the attacker. "You find this funny?" Craig asked, fuming. Craig watched as the man in the long coat quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a silver knife. He held it up in the air and pointed it towards Craig. "Get out of here kid...before I slice your throat open."

Craig stared back at his enemy, trying his best to appear unafraid. His entire body was burning with hatred. Craig was ready to unleash his anger upon this sick, twisted person.

"Wendy." Craig said lightly. Wendy didn't respond, but Craig knew she heard him.

"I want you to get out of here. No matter what happens, I want you to stay away from all of this. If you get hurt, I couldn't forgive myself. Just go, please."

There was a short, tense pause.

"Right…" Wendy said quietly behind him. Craig stayed on guard as he heard Wendy get up behind him. Moments later, he heard her rapid footsteps escaping the alleyway. Soon it was just Craig and this mysterious man in the alleyway. Craig gazed at the silver knife the man held out in front of him.

'This is the man who tried to hurt Wendy…'

"I'll slice your throat open." The man said,, trying to intimidate Craig.

"Try it." Craig gritted his teeth harder. He braced himself and enhanced his guard, preparing for the worst.

In the next moment, the man leaned forward and began charging for Craig. "Have fun in hell!" the man yelled at Craig as he charged for him. Craig ran down the alleyway towards the stranger, ready to engage him and unleash his rage.

Craig couldn't believe what he was doing as he ran between the brick buildings. He was literally running into danger. The smallest mistake could mean instant death for him. His determination was burning strong, and Craig to protect Wendy and seek revenge at all costs. Craig wanted to make this man pay, so that he could never try to hurt anyone else.

'I'm tired of being useless to people. I'm doing something for once!'

Seconds later, their fight began.

As Craig approached the man, the tall figure continued running for Craig. The man swung his knife towards Craig's neck. Craig ducked underneath the slash, dodging the knife. Craig pushed his feet against the ground and rammed his head into the man's stomach. Craig put all of his force behind the blow, the man stumbled back from the force, surprised. Craig raised his head and saw the man move toward him again.

Craig saw the man swing a fist towards Craig. Craig put up an arm in defense, but was taken aback when the man withdrew his arm and suddenly lifted his leg to perform a side sweep kick. Craig suddenly felt the mans boot hit him hard his hip. Craig stumbled sideways and lost his balance. He fell onto the hard ground beneath him. His hands scraped the hard surface, making Craig's hands sting slightly. The man quickly lunged toward Craig and kicked him hard in the chest. Craig's body shot with pain as the man continued beating him senseless. Craig tried to cover his face with one arm, and his stomach with the other.

'I can't give up…' was the only thing Craig could think of when the pain that shot through his body. Craig's vision suddenly became blurry as he received another blow from the man. The dark figure above him kicked Craig's waist, sending Craig over and onto his back. Craig clutched his body in pain. Craig's eyes widened in horror as he watched man loom over him. Craig couldn't see too clearly, he only saw a menacing, blurry shadow. Craig tried to punch upwards in retaliation, but the man quickly pinned down his chest with a heavy boot. The man then straddled across Craig's chest and pinned Craig's arms down with his knees. The figure loomed over Craig and pressed his knife against Craig's throat. "I told you I'd slice your throat open."

Craig watched as the man raised his arm high above his head, ready to end Craig's life.

'This is it…' Craig thought. 'It's over…' Craig closed his eyes, bracing himself for the final blow.

'I'm sorry Wendy…I tried…' Craig had never felt so defeated for in his entire life.

'I guess in the end…I couldn't do anything right…'

**…**

Craig's eyes shot open to the sight a large, dark, open sky. Craig felt his body lying against something cold. He noticed the sky was littered with several twinkling stars. Craig no longer felt the weight of the man on top of him. Craig actually felt healed here. He didn't ache, and for some reason unknown even to him, he wasn't afraid anymore. Craig tilted his head left and right to observe his surroundings, but he saw nothing but snow as far as he could see until the shadows became too dark. Craig caught a glimmer of something in his peripheral vision. Craig turned his head and watched as a single purple snowflake descended from the sky and landed right next to his cheek. Suddenly, several purple snowflakes began to fall from the sky. Each snowflake had a dim glimmer of light. They offered little, but more light to this strange world.

Craig sat upright, the snow crunched beneath him as he moved. Craig sat criss-cross in the snow and leaned forward slightly, unsure of what to do. He stared down at the snow between his legs. 'I have no idea where I should even go.' Craig thought. It suddenly occurred to Craig he was actually in his winter clothing. He was wearing his familiar blue jacket and his signature blue hat atop his head. Craig held out his hands, observing his blue mittens that had seemingly magically appeared on his palms.

'What is this place?' Craig wondered.

"Craig." Craig heard a light voice say behind him. Craig slowly turned around to make eye contact with someone all too familiar.

"It's good to see you again." A short, younger Craig said. Once again, Craig was staring at his younger self. He hadn't seen him since he had a dream a long time ago, back when he had passed out from yet another of his father's relentless beatings.

The younger Craig approached, making the older Craig shift his seating so that he faced his younger self. "How have you been?" the older Craig asked as his younger self moved towards him. Craig watched curiously as his younger self stopped near him and carefully sat on the ground next to him. Everything about his younger self seemed so familiar to Craig. Craig recognized his uniqueness in the way he he walked, moved, and even the way his eyes shined.

"I've been better." Craig admitted. "How about you?"

"I've been OK. At least, that's always what I've been telling myself." The younger Craig mused.

Craig blinked, and the scene changed once more for him.

Craig suddenly found himself standing in a large, open room. He could barely make out the brick walls of this room from the gloomy light shining in from holes in the ceiling. Craig could see white ash falling through the gaping holes in the ceiling. Strangely, he smelled something burning in the air. Wherever he was, he felt he was in a destroyed world that was untouched for centuries. Craig turned his head to the right, and noticed a large opening at the end of the room. Craig's eye suddenly caught the colors beneath his feet. He realized he was standing on a long, thin carpet. The carpet was a beautiful blue color, with yellow trims along its edges. Outside the large doorway, Craig could barely see several destroyed brick buildings outside in the city. He saw a lot of debris strewn around the cobblestone streets, and smoke rose from inside of the buildings. It was as if an enormous war had taken place here long ago.

'What happened here?' Craig wondered.

Craig twisted around to observe more of the room. Craig held his breath as he saw where the other end of the carpet ended. At the far end of the room, the carpet was laid out across nearly thirty steps that led to a large platform. On top of the platform was a large, beautiful throne. The seat cushions were blue, and the chair arms was a beautiful, metallic yellow color. The metal shined brightly, with some spots being covered by the white ash. The light shone down on the throne from a small hole just above it. The left side of the throne was shrouded in dark shadow, and the other half on the right was lit by the gloomy gray light from above. Craig found the symmetry strange, yet beautiful.

Craig slowly walked along the carpet towards the throne with curiosity. 'What is this place? Is this a...throne room?' Craig wondered. The decorations in this place seemed grand and kingly. Large pillars kept the enormous ceiling elevated high into the air. Some of the architecture was seemingly destroyed by something unknown to Craig. Craig continued walking towards the throne.

Moments later Craig approached the bottom of the stairs and paused to gaze up at the throne. Something about the kingly chair seemed to be beckoning him, as if some invisible force was urging him to sit on the enormous, grandly made chair. Craig stared at the throne with curiosity and began slowly ascending the steps. His footsteps thumped lightly on the carpet beneath him as he continued upwards.

Craig walked to the top of the stairs and stepped onto the large platform. The throne was merely a few steps away now. Craig approached the chair cautiously. "It's beautiful." He told himself out loud.

"Isn't it interesting?" Craig twisted around and saw his younger self at the bottom of the steps, gazing up at him with a plain look.

"What's going on?" the older Craig asked.

"Do you know what this place is?" the younger Craig asked. Craig watched as his younger self slowly ascended the stairs towards him.

"I don't know where I am." Craig admitted. "Do you?"

The younger Craig's lips formed a hard line as he continued climbing the steps. "I do."

"So where are we?"

The younger Craig remained silent, and just continued climbing the stairs. Craig watched his younger self with curiosity. Craig had never thought anything like this would happen in his lifetime. It was as if he was in this world physically, but it was very dreamlike at the same time. Craig's younger self finally stepped up onto the same platform as the throne, and walked up to meet Craig. Craig was amused by how short his younger self was. It was interesting seeing how much he had grown.

"Do you think you'll see this place, eventually?" Craig's younger self asked plainly.

"I don't know…where are we, anyway?" Craig asked again.

"Maybe you'll be here eventually." His younger self declared. "For now, you have to live. Are you ready to wake up?"

Craig shook his head. "I don't know if I am or not…I…" Craig lowered his head. "I don't want to die."

"I know you don't." his younger self said. "Do you know how much you've endured? Some could argue you've had it rougher than others."

"Tell me about it…" Craig said sadly. "Right now, my family hates me. The one person I love I might not be able to take revenge for her. My best friend and I haven't talked in a long time. I'm hurting…I feel every day like my heart is going to die, and I just keep pushing through the motions. Nothing seems to be getting better for me…but why do I keep going?"

The younger Craig stepped forward and gripped Craig's sleeve near his wrist. Craig looked down into his innocent younger self's eyes. "It's OK to cry." His shorter self said. Craig saw his younger self's eyes begin to water, and tears streamed began streaming down his young face." Craig released his emotion too, and allowed himself to cry too. His tears dropped down to his feet.

Craig suddenly kneeled down to his younger self. The two sets of blue eyes danced with emotion and understanding for each other. Craig tried to smile. "If I saw my younger self, I'd know what pain you feel." Craig embraced his younger self in his arms. He felt his younger self wrap his arms around him. "That's something I never got…" Craig said into his younger self's ear. "I'll be strong…I promise…" The world around Craig slowly went black as he slipped back into reality. The throne became shadowy, and soon, Craig slipped back into consciousness.

**…**

Craig felt the man's weight on top of him once again. He flicked open his eyes and saw the man's arm extended in the air, ready to slice at Craig. Craig looked at him with angry eyes. "Bring it on." Craig warned him. Just before the man sliced at Craig, Craig raised one of his knees and kneed the man hard in the back. The man fell forwards, and his blade just barely missed the top of Craig's head. The knife sliced off a few of Craig's stray hairs, and nearly slicing his hat. The man lost his balance and fell forward, Craig tightened the muscles in his forehead and grunted hard as he slammed his head into the mans forehead, making him fall sideways and off of Craig.

Craig felt blood trickle down the side of his face from the hard blow. The man clutched his head in pain. He wasn't bleeding, but Craig could tell he had hit him pretty hard. 'I'm not done yet!' Craig jerked himself upwards. Craig charged at the man, and began lashing out several punches, each successfully hitting the man in the face. "You…disgusting…bastard!" Craig said between rapid breaths. Craig continued unleashing a flurry of blows on the man.

The man grunted in pain from each blow from Craig, but didn't seem like he wanted to fight back. Craig found it strange, but continued lashing out at the man anyway. "How could you do this?!" Craig put all of his strength into his arm and punched the man hard in the face. He felt the man's nose crunch under the black cloth he was wearing around his face. The man stumbled backwards and clutched at his nose. Craig huffed from the effort, sweat ran down his face from his sudden outrage of blows. He placed his hands on his knees, exhausted from his outrage.

"You…" the man grunted underneath his facial mask. "I know you…" Craig's blood was pumping hard through his veins. Every single thing seemed as if it was happening at an incredible speed. "You do?" Craig huffed. "Well I certainly don't know you, you sick freak." Craig said venomously.

The man raised his bloodied face to Craig. "You're the one that we can kill on sight."

Those were some words Craig would have never expected.

"What?...What are you talking about?!" Craig asked.

"Craig Tucker…I'm so glad I-"

The man's words were cut off abruptly. Craig's eyes widened in horror as he saw a blade appear from the front of the man's head. Blood sprayed through the air. Some of it splattered against Craig's face. He felt the sticky, gross feeling touch his cheek. Craig sniffed, and almost vomited from the smell of death. Craig held a hand to his mouth, trying to control his nausea. Beneath him, the man collapsed to the ground, and a large puddle of blood spilled out across the alleyway. Craig saw there was a large knife that had stabbed directly through the man's skull.

'What the hell?!' Craig thought worriedly. He cranked his head both directions down the alleyway, but didn't spot one person around him. "What…happened?"

"Craig Tucker." Craig twisted around quickly to be met with a tall, dark figure just inches away from him. Craig saw he was wearing a motorcycle helmet. Dark red eyes shone behind his helmet visor.

"W-Who are you?!" Craig stepped backwards cautiously.

"I'm here to offer you something."

Craig jumped as the figure quickly pulled out a switchblade knife from their pocket. Craig began to turn away, but it was too late. The knife sliced through the air, and blood flew all around.

But it wasn't Craig's blood.

Before Craig could even register what had happened, someone had jumped from one of the buildings above and landed between Craig and the rider. Craig was pushed back. As he fell backwards, Craig saw red blood gush out in the air. When the person slammed into the ground, Craig's heart sunk.

Craig stared into a familiar pair of eyes, who was staring back at him. "Craig..."

Craig was shot with raw emotion. He fell to his knees. "No..."

The brown hair of Craig's best friend seemed messier than usual.

"Clyde...why?" Craig asked. Craig crawled over to his friend, unafraid of the rider. Craig began breathing heavier, and was almost hyperventilating.

'No...no...no...' Craig thought repeatedly in his mind.

"Clyde..." Craig approached Clyde's body. He put a hand underneath Clyde's head and gently lifted him up. "Why did you do this?...Why?!"

"You're my best friend." Clyde said. Clyde began coughing. Clyde hacked up some red blood that splattered against his chin. Craig felt his heart beating faster, in a sense of urgency. "It's OK Clyde...we'll get you help..." Craig said.

Clyde's eyes seemed to be fading slightly, as if his vision was leaving him.

"No...Clyde...don't die...don't die...DON'T DIE ON ME DAMN IT!" Craig yelled at his best friend.

"Craig..." Clyde leaned his head towards Craig. Tears burst hard from Craig's eyes. He had never cried so much before in his life.

"Don't talk, Clyde...save your strength, please..." Craig closed his eyes, stinging from crying.

"Craig...you'd do the same for me...I know you would."

Craig sniffed and began choking for his breath. His sadness was taking a toll on his body. His entire body ached. The rider watched without a word, Craig didn't pay any attention to him. "Clyde...I'll never forgive you for this..." Craig choked on his words. He lowered his own head and touched forehead's with Clyde.

"Please forgive me Clyde...I'm so sorry..." Craig said quietly. He pulled his face away from Clyde.

Clyde smiled up at Craig. "You...you're my best friend...hehe...I'd even say I lov-..." Clyde paused on his words. "I lo..." Craig's eyes widened. "I-" In the next moment, Clyde's head went limp, and his eyes faded.

It was over, Clyde was dead.

Craig's hair hung past his face as he stared down at his friend. All of his emotions seemed to cease at the sight of his friend's lifeless body. Craig slowly lowered Clyde's head to the ground.

"That is something I would call loyalty." The rider said.

Craig whisked his head towards the rider. His tears flew through the air as he eyed the rider angrily.

"WHY WOULD YOU EVER DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?! HE NEVER DID ANYTHING TO ANYONE! YOU KILLED AN INNOCENT PERSON! MY BEST FRIEND!"

Craig felt his heart beat faster.

His mind was slowly changing.

"You killed my best friend..." Craig lowered his head. "I hate you..."

Craig's entire body shot with more rage than ever before.

Craig's heart beat once, and he changed forever.

"I'll kill you..." Craig said.

"What was that?" The rider taunted.

"I said..."

Craig raised his head.

This was the moment that Craig's legend would begin forever. Something had happened that would shape the events to come.

As Craig raised his head, he kept his eyes closed.

The small pebbles that were around Craig slowly began to rise from the ground, defying gravity. There was a light gust of wind that came through the alleyway. Craig's body began glowing a slight red color.

"I'll kill you."

Craig's eyelids opened, and his eyes glowed a blood red color.


	35. BOOK 1 FINALE! CT&SM: Clash!

_**Author's** **Note: **Fellow FanFiction friends, the final chapter of book 1 is finally here, as promised. I'm sorry I couldn't bring this to you last week as my schoolwork hindered me from writing more. I really hope you all enjoy the final chapter of book 1. For funsies, I've added a teaser summary for book two at the end of this chapter. I can't thank you all enough. This is the first 'book' I've ever written, it means so much to me I've had so many dedicated, lovable supporters help me with advice, positive, constructive, and just all around AWESOME feedback along the way! You have all been so good to me, and I can't thank you enough!_

_With this final chapter here, I have on final shout out to give as I mark the end of book 1:_

**_Author Special Shout-out to:_**

_My **AMAZING** friend Florence! Thank you for listening to my ideas and offering great feedback! I appreciate it so much!_

**_LAST BUT NOT LEAST, ENJOY THE FINALE OF BOOK 1!_**

Chapter 35 – Clash!

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Craig could feel himself changing on the inside. Everything he had been holding inside of him - all of the sadness, frustration, and hatred was now being released through his veins. Craig's blood red eyes burned with nothing but pure malice as he glared angrily at the dark rider just feet away from him. Craig felt as if his entire body was boiling, he felt extremely hot inside. He could feel every blood pumping through every vessel inside of him. It hurt, but at the same time, Craig felt as if he had more power than ever before.

"You killed Clyde…" Craig said furiously, furrowing his brow at the rider. "You took my best friend away from me…" Craig closed his eyes, not wanting to look at Clyde's bloodied body behind him. "I'll kill you, you bastard!" Craig stiffened himself, preparing to release his outrage upon the rider.

The rider stood still, seemingly unafraid of Craig's words. "I see you've awakened…" the rider mused.

Craig didn't have time to question what the rider meant. His anger was making him hasty to see the blood of the rider fly through the night. 'I'll destroy him!' Craig vowed to himself. Craig blinked once. This was a strange moment, Craig noticed he seemed much more alert than before. Craig also felt like he was much stronger than before, more than he would have ever imagined possible. He didn't question nor notice that his own body was glowing a slight red color, emanating a blood red aura.

Craig's memories with flashed through his mind quickly. He pictured Clyde's smiling face, his high-fives, and even a promise they made long ago. 'Let's stay friends forever.' Those were words Craig and Clyde made to each other when they were very young. Craig hoped in the end, Clyde really still saw him as his best friend.

'Clyde...this is for you...' Craig leaned forward and began charging for the rider.

"Let's go." The rider said.

"I'll kill you!" Craig screamed at the rider.

Craig felt as if his human capabilities had been enhanced majorly. What he would have assumed would take seconds to reach the rider actually seemed as if he took the smallest fraction of time to reach him. Craig's eyes seemed to see more than before. He felt he could notice every small, individual detail around him. Craig suddenly felt more knowledgeable, as if he was adept at many things, including fighting.

The clash between Craig and the rider began...

Craig leaped up off the ground in front of the rider and pulled his arm behind him, building up a powerful blow. In mid-air, Craig swung his arm hard at the rider, hoping to make a blow against him. In the instant Craig attempted this, the rider quickly pulled his leg upwards and kicked Craig square in the chest. Craig felt an almost crushing blow against his chest, followed by a strong pain in his chest. The rider was ridiculously strong. Craig had never seen anybody like this before. Craig flew backwards through the air. He landed hard against the brick wall of the building behind him.

Craig's body felt as if it had became more solid. He would have expected to feel a great amount of pain from hitting the wall. Surprisingly, he didn't feel as much as he thought he would have. Craig took a moment to regain himself. Craig gritted his teeth and ignored the pain running through his body. He got back onto his feet almost instantly. Craig decided to flow with his current feelings, determined to gain revenge for his best friend. His anger was driving him to shed blood in exchange for his best friend's life.

Craig's eyes flashed like burning flames as he glared at the rider.

'I'm going to try something, I feel powerful enough to do this...'

Craig jumped a few feet off the ground and performed a back flip in mid-air. When Craig aligned with the wall, he pressed his feet against the wall and his body flung towards the rider. Craig pulled his arm back, prepared to attack again. Craig's eyes flicked at the different areas of the rider's body, on alert for any sudden movements. Craig held his fist out as he flew towards the rider, aiming it straight for his chest. Craig saw the rider pull his arm back, prepared to retaliate. The rider punched for Craig. Craig and the rider's fists' met in midair. Craig could feel the enormous power between their blows. A light gust of wind erupted from between their fists.

'This power...I like it...' Craig thought.

Gravity took effect and Craig's feet found the ground. The rider quickly swung a leg up towards Craig's face. Craig ducked just in time, avoiding the blow. He felt the rider's leg just barely graze the top of his head. Craig quickly stood up and aimed his elbow for the rider's chest and pushed hard. The rider side-stepped Craig's attack and punched Craig hard in the side of the face. Craig stumbled sideways, and the rider quickly dashed towards him, trying to land a fatal blow as Craig lost his balance. Craig saw the rider holding his knife, still sticky with blood. The rider was fast approaching Craig.

'I'm not dying today!' Craig promised.

As Craig stumbled, he pressed as hard as he could against the ground. At the angle Craig was at, his force made him fly a few feet away from the rider. Craig couldn't believe how powerful his body was at this moment. Craig's feet landed a few feet away from the rider. The rider stood still, observing Craig carefully.

Within Craig's aura, little white sparks danced around the deep red color. The white sparks appeared to be coming off of Craig's body, as if his body was encapsulated in little shock waves. Craig could hear little snapping noises, similar to static shocks all around him.

"I see you've found your power." The rider said, interested.

"Shut up!" Craig said. Craig felt as if his eyes were more powerful than any other part of his body. Craig suddenly saw a slow flash of electricity in front of his eyes. Small shockwaves erupted from Craig's eyes and darted towards the rider. The shocks weren't quick enough, the rider ducked to avoid the blow. Craig saw the shock waves fly over the rider's head and hit the side of one of the buildings. Craig heard a sound that sounded like a small explosion, and a few bricks from the building burst from their places and landed in the alley. Craig's eyes widened as he noticed there was now a small hole in the side of the building.

Craig didn't know what had caused him to make such an attack, but he wanted to use it again and again. He wanted to destroy everything around him until he saw the rider dead at his feet. Craig saw the rider charge for him, he stiffened, keeping his entire body on alert.

Craig braced himself as he saw the rider approach him. He tried observing every muscle movement the rider made. Craig had to co-ordinate his next moves carefully, for the simplest mistake would mean instant death.

'Here he comes…' Craig thought.

The rider suddenly surprised Craig by leaning sideways mid-stride and pressing against the ground. The rider twisted his body in mid-air. His feet landed on the brick wall along one of the buildings and Craig watched as the rider ran along it in a quick, sideways motion. Craig couldn't believe how quick the rider was moving. The rider quickly pressed off the wall and his body flew straight towards Craig. Craig noticed a long silver blade was pointed directly at Craig's heart.

'He really intends to kill me…' Craig thought. 'Just how cold is this person?'

Craig side-stepped just in time, avoiding the riders blow. Craig quickly turned around and saw the rider's body standing directly in front of him. Craig reflexed in a panic and swung his arm towards the rider. The rider kicked off the ground and performed a front flip over Craig. Before Craig could register the rider had literally jumped over him, Craig felt a strong force against the back of his leg, just behind his knee. Craig fell to the ground. Before he could rise again, he suddenly felt a strong arm restrain him and held his breath when he saw the silver blade press against his throat.

The rider held Craig still as he kneeled beneath the rider.

'It's over...I've lost...'

Craig's glowing red aura was slowly fading around his body. His defeat had made him feel weak again. Craig's red eyes were slowly fading back into their normal blue color. The pain returned to his body again, and he felt his more human characteristics return.

"I needed to do that so you would awaken." Craig heard the rider say behind him.

"To hell with you!" Craig hissed.

Craig felt the rider push him hard into the ground. Craig's face scraped the rough surface, scratching the side of his face. Craig flicked his eyes and saw the rider quickly reach for him. The rider grabbed Craig's neck with a strong, firm grip. Craig felt as if his neck was going to be broken by even the simplest twitch of the rider's fingers. The rider picked Craig up by the neck and slammed him against the brick wall. Blood ran down Craig's face and dripped onto the ground beneath him.

The rider pinned an arm firmly against Craig's neck, assuring he couldn't move.

"Let me tell you something." The rider said.

"I'll kill you before I let that happen!" Craig yelled.

The rider chuckled slightly. "Craig Tucker. I remember you."

The entire alley turned into an eerie silence.

"Who are you?!" Craig asked angrily.

Craig saw blood red eyes glowing behind the rider's helmet visor.

"I'll let you see." The rider offered.

Craig returned a hard stare at the rider's hateful eyes.

Craig watched as the rider used one of his hands to reach up towards his helmet. His other arm was still firmly pressed against Craig. Craig watched the rider's hand work underneath his helmet at the straps. The straps underneath the rider's helmet slowly loosened. Craig saw the straps undo, and dangle loosely beneath the rider neck. The rider used a hand and pressed up against their helmet.

The helmet popped off, and landed against the ground next to them with a light thump.

Craig's eyes widened and he gasped as he took in the details of the rider's face. The blood red eyes glared back at Craig. The rider kept his lips in a hard line as he looked back into Craig's eyes.

"I can't believe it…" Craig said in disbelief. "I thought you were…"

Everything about the rider's face was familiar. Their somewhat bulky complexion, their hard stare, and their dirty blond hair.

"Kill all betrayers is written on my switchblade knife." The rider said in a deep voice.

Craig frowned.

"Trent Boyett…"

Craig saw the rider grin, confirming his guess.

"Yes. I certainly didn't expect to meet this way Craig." Trent said, frowning slightly.

"What have you become?" Craig asked. "You're a monster…I can't believe you. I knew the truth about all those years ago…I knew that you had been falsely accused of your crimes…I knew-"

"That doesn't matter anymore." Trent interrupted "Shut up and listen to me."

Craig bit his lip, trying not to scream at Trent.

"You're in a relationship with Wendy, aren't you?" Trent asked.

Craig looked down towards the ground. He knew what the current answer was. "No." he said.

Trent moved his ram and gripped Craig's shirt collar. Trent pulled Craig towards him and held him up by his shirt collar. Craig didn't try to resist. Craig was now nose to nose with Trent. Craig saw his blood red eyes gaze into him with hatred. "Don't. Lie." Trent threatened.

"I'm not." Craig said truthfully. Trent pushed Craig hard. Craig stumbled backwards and hit the wall once again. Craig felt a much more painful blow as his back slammed against the wall. It hurt more than just a few minutes ago, when Craig was fighting. Craig coughed from the impact, and blood streamed out of his mouth and trickled under his lips. Craig's legs gave in, and he fell down against the wall.

Trent approached Craig, and loomed above him like a menacing shadow. Trent gazed down at Craig with a hard stare. "Where are Stan, Kyle, Kenny, and Eric?" Trent asked angrily. Trent crouched down and pointed his knife at Craig yet again. Trent flicked the blade upwards and flipped it. He caught it in his hand again and held it out towards Craig. Clyde's blood was dripping on the ground. Craig felt he was going to go mad any second now.

"I don't know…" Craig responded to the rider. "I'm never really around them." Craig admitted.

Trent grinned. "You don't even know _that_ yet…?"

"Know what?" Craig asked, confused.

"You'll figure it out one day." Trent said, interested.

Trent walked towards Craig and crouched down in front of him. Craig felt his energy slowly fading away. He was losing the will to fight every passing second.

'Clyde…I'm sorry…' Craig thought.

Trent's body seemed to freeze suddenly. Trent's eyes flicked away from Craig for a moment. "Yes. It's happened." Trent said. "Yes, he's right here."

'Who is he talking to?' Craig wondered.

Craig felt his entire body losing energy every second. Craig started to feel lightheaded, as if he was about to pass out from his overly long week.

"I'm going to show you something." Trent told Craig.

Trent held his knife against Craig's throat.

"Dream. And wake up again." Trent said.

Craig glared into Trent's eyes, and slowly felt himself losing touch with reality. Craig felt his consciousness slowly fade away. Craig blinked again, and opened his eyes to something dreadful.

Craig found himself standing in the middle of an enormous epicenter under a dark sky. Around Craig, just a few familiar buildings of South Park were still standing in the distance. Craig saw nothing but blood and destruction all around him.

'This is hell...why am I here?' Craig asked himself.

Craig saw nothing but an enormous, gaping stretch of land around him for miles, where all the familiar homes and buildings of South Park once were. Home's were destroyed, South Park elementary was nothing but a pile of rubble now, and South Park had became a place of death and destruction. In the sky, a blood red moon was hidden behind a few dim, gray clouds.

Suddenly, Craig heard a loud explosion and felt a gust of wind blow past him. Craig spun around and saw a large explosion in the distance. Craig watched in disbelief as a large column of flame erupted into the sky.

'What's happening?!' Craig asked out loud, at no one in particular. Craig couldn't believe what he was seeing around him. Craig's home was destroyed, and it seemed like the world was nothing but hell. 'What happened?!' Craig wondered.

Craig saw two black objects within the flames. Craig watched as the dark shapes ejected into the air from the flames. As the two objects soared across the sky, Craig saw faint silver sparks between two objects, which seemed to be dancing with each other. Craig heard the clashing of metal above his head.

"Craig…" Craig jumped at the sound of a familiar voice behind him.

Craig whisked around and saw Wendy limping towards him. Wendy held one arm across her waist. Her clothes were tattered, and she was bruised badly. "Wendy!" Craig shouted. Craig ran towards Wendy. Wendy began to fall forward from obvious exhaustion. Craig managed to catch Wendy just in time. Craig held her gently in his tired arms. Wendy's head rested against Craig's shoulder as he held her for a short moment. They embraced under the blood red moonlight.

"We need to get out of here." Craig told her. Craig shifted and worked one of his arm's under put an arm around Craig's neck. Craig held Wendy's hand with his own and allowed her to lean against him. "Let's go…" he told Wendy. Craig noticed the black objects in the air were still dancing with each other. "What is that?" Craig asked.

"Fighting…" Wendy said weakly.

Craig suddenly noticed the two black objects were moving closer to him and Wendy than before. Craig could see vivid movement between two people in the sky, though he couldn't make out their personal features. Craig saw that in their hands, they each held long, shiny silver blades. Craig saw a flurry of sword swings, followed by the sight of shiny metal tinted red from the moon overhead.

"Who are they?" Craig asked.

Craig heard another clang of metal above his head. He saw one of the dark figures fly backwards towards the ground, as if he had been pushed back by some incredible force. The black figure soared back straight towards Craig and Wendy. Craig turned and quickly began limping away with Wendy, wanting to avoid whatever fight was happening at all costs.

Craig stared into the dark distance, wishing he could just leave this place.

'This is hell...why am I here?' Craig asked himself.

Wendy gasped suddenly as one of the black figures touched the ground next to her. The person leaned forward, and their feet skidded across the ruined ground, kicking up dirt and pebbles underneath them. The warrior slid across the ground with their head down. Craig saw red droplets of blood fall from the warrior's body. The fighter stabbed their sword into the ground, trying to stop their momentum. As the warrior raised his head, Craig gasped.

"It can't be!" Craig said out loud. Craig watched as Kyle began charging in the direction of the other mysterious figure again. Kyle was wearing a long black cape with a green trim along the edges. Around his waist, Kyle had a large belt filled with all sorts of deadly weaponry. Craig saw swords, daggers, knives holstered along his belt. Craig was confused why Kyle didn't carry a gun. However, Kyle seemed to have an otherworldly power.

Craig saw Kyle was panting from his hard labor, and a long stream of blood ran down past his cheek.

"Kyle! Don't!" Wendy shouted next to Craig. Kyle ignored her words and pulled his blade out of the ground after he slid to a halt. Kyle leaned forward and pressed his feet hard against the ground. Craig watched in awe as the ground underneath Kyle's feet dented further towards the Earth's center. A gust of wind came from where the ground had been pressed in. It blew through Craig and Wendy's hair. The two watched as Kyle soared back high into the air again, ready to attack his opponent, whoever that may be.

"Kyle!" they shouted after him.

Inside Craig's head, he heard Trent's voice.

"This is a glimpse of the end."

...

**Elsewhere...**

**POV: **Stan Marsh

"Stan…Stan!" Stan suddenly felt his body being shaken. Stan jerked awake from where he was sleeping. He had fallen asleep against the hard wooden wall of the caboose. His back and neck both felt stiff. Stan blinked his eyes a few times, and glanced over to see Kenny McCormick looking at him through the darkness with his sparkling blue eyes. Cartman was sleeping soundly across from them both at the other end of the car.

Stan reached a hand around to the back of his neck and began twisting his neck around. "What's up, Ken?" Stan asked tiredly. Stan quickly put a hand to his mouth as he started to yawn.

"I had a weird dream…" Kenny said. "Oh?" Stan asked. "What about?"

Kenny shuddered. "I just…I thought I had a dream that someone died back in South Park…I don't know why…" Stan noticed Kenny was shaking. "Are you cold?" Stan asked. Kenny shook his head and pulled his hood over his head. "I'm fine…" he said, pulling his knees close to his body. "It's just that dream scared me a little…Sorry, I shouldn't have woken you."

"It's fine." Stan said. "I don't mind. Do you want to talk for a bit, or go back to sleep?"

Kenny sighed lightly. "Up to you."

Stan tilted his head. "I suppose we could talk for a bit, if you want to…"

"Sure…" Kenny said. "What do you want to talk about?"

"Hmm…I'm not sure…uhm…" Stan was quiet for a moment as he tried to think of a topic of conversation to strike up with Kenny. "What do you think Kyle is doing right now?" Stan asked.

"I couldn't tell you." Kenny pointed out. "Maybe he's watching the stars?" Stan grinned at the suggestion.

"Yeah, maybe he is…Hey…do you want to watch the stars together, Kenny?" Stan offered. Kenny nodded and grinned slightly. "Sure, I can't sleep that well right now anyway." Stan and Kenny carefully got up and proceeded to the rear of the caboose. They quickly opened up the door and stepped out onto the narrow wooden platform. The train was running between two large meadows, fresh with flowers and nature.

"I wish we could have seen this in the day time." Stan said longingly.

"Yeah, I know." Kenny agreed. Stan adjusted himself and sat down on the wooden platform. It was a bit chilly tonight, but Stan and Kenny didn't care. In front of them, the land almost seemed like it was being pushed away by the train. Kenny sat down lightly next to Stan. The two stared up at the stars together without a word.

"You know, Kenny…" Stan started after a brief silence. Kenny looked at Stan with his deep blue eyes. "You've been a good friend…I don't think I tell you that enough. But I mean it, thank you. You've been really loyal to me, I couldn't have asked for a better friend." Kenny seemed to glow at Stan's praise. "Thank you, Stan. I'm glad to have you as a friend too." Stan's face turned red from slight embarrassment. "Wow, we're so cheesy." Stan said, scratching the back of his head. The two chuckled together.

"We really have gone a long way together." Stan reflected. "Do you remember when we first met each other?" Stan asked. Kenny chuckled a bit and nodded his head. "We were in pre-school…you told me you wanted to have a hoodie, just like I was wearing." Kenny giggled. "I remember meeting you too…"

"You told me you wanted to wear a hat, just like me." Stan remembered.

Kenny smiled and nodded. "That's right…Wow…I can't believe how much we're growing up…"

"Kyle was with us too…" Stan said sadly. "But we're on our way…I promised myself I'd find him. It's just…I don't understand why he wouldn't say a word to us after all this time."

"Beats me." Kenny said. "I'm sure we'll find him. Once we do, we'll be able to badger him for not talking to us. After all, that's what friends are for." Kenny grinned.

"Do you think Kyle is still the same?" Stan asked. Kenny shrugged. "He's probably changed a little bit...I think we all have, in our own ways."

Stan smiled. "You know, Kenny…I was wondering...uhm...I know you were good friends with Kyle…did he…ever tell you anything...about...me?"

Kenny looked at Stan with a raised eyebrow. "Like what?" Stan shook his head. "Oh..never mind...it…it's nothing…" Stan stared off in the distance. Wind blew through his hair.

'Kenny...I'm sorry...'

**...**

**Elsewhere...**

A boy sat atop a large clock tower watching over a great city beneath him. Under the twinkling stars, snow suddenly began to fall around him. The city would soon be shrouded in snow. A cold gust of wind blew through the boy's red hair.

'The snow is falling here...It reminds me of our first kiss...'

The boy started crying. And the snow kept falling...

**END OF BOOK 1!**

**BOOK 2 - The Four Friends Teaser Summary:**

_The first storm has passed. As new winds blow, Stan, Eric, Cartman, Wendy, and Craig move towards new chapters in their lives. Stan is determined to find Kyle at any cost, but will he like what he discovers? Kenny's feelings are growing more and more everyday for Stan. As Stan continues to be oblivious of Kenny's feelings, Kenny begins to wonder just how long he can hold his feelings in. Craig awakens in his bed after his strange dream, as if nothing from the past few days had ever happened. A strange darkness is slowly rising behind the scenes. Cartman has to make a hard decision, one that could tear him away from his friends forever. Wendy ponders over re-forming a relationship with Craig, but with the news of Clyde's death, will she end up opening her heart up so easily? With tensions rising, relationships forming and breaking, the second storm is slowly approaching, but the question remains: Who's lives will be lost?_


	36. BOOK 2 PROLOGUE! ?: Memory Days

_**Author's Note:** So I've caught up with all of my homework lately. I figured I'd get an early start on the prologue of Book 2. So it's here a little early, I hope you all enjoy. :)_

_Let's rock and roll and go through the journey of book 2 together! Things are about to get even better. Be excited! :)_ _For funsies, I'm going to give one fun fact each chapter.__  
_

**_FUN FACT #1: _**

_Did you know...originally I had shipped Cartman and Wendy instead of Craig and Wendy? This changed when I figured I wanted to try something uncommon._

**ENJOY THE PROLOGUE OF BOOK 2: THE FOUR FRIENDS!**

Chapter 36 – Memory Days

**POV: **?

A young boy walked along the streets of New York City past all the hustling pedestrians. The boy wore a brown scarf around his neck and wore dark sunglasses, covering his hazel eyes. There was a dim overcast over New York this afternoon. The skies were gray and threatened to explode with rain any moment. The air was fresh and crisp, the boy surely believed the storm wasn't far off.

The boy stared up at the sky, which reminded him of his earlier days.

'I remember the short time we spent together.'

The boy remembered long ago when he had lived in a small mountain town called South Park.

As the boy continued down the windy streets, he thought about his past. He remembered how short his time had been in the town, but he remembered one person, one who he had secretly grown feelings for. The boy was never able to tell him the truth about how he felt.

'I wonder how you're doing right now?' the boy wondered.

The boy remembered the events of several years ago…

**…**

The boy was only eight at the time. He sat on the bench overlooking Stark's Pond, watching the frozen ice with a bored expression. A cold breeze seemed to pass right through his brown hair as he continued waiting patiently. The sky above was a gloomy gray color, signaling another snow storm was coming tonight.

'This is so lonely.' The boy thought. He rubbed his bare red hands together, trying to warm himself up. 'He said he'd be here…where is he?' The boy cranked his head around, checking the woods behind him for any movement. When he realized the woods were void of any life, the boy sighed. His breath shown in front of him. 'Guess he forgot or something…'

The boy turned back towards Stark's Pond and looked longingly into the distance. He put his elbows against his legs and held his face gently between his palms.

The boy sat there, waiting for his friend to show up.

'Will this be the day I tell him the truth?' the boy wondered.

The boy jumped when he heard a rustling sound from behind. He quickly turned around and saw another boy in a red poof ball hat approach from the woods. "Hey!" the boy on the bench called. He was starting to glow at the presence of his friend. "Hey, Stan!" the boy called back. The boy hopped off the bench excitedly and trotted over to Stan.

"Did you bring them?" the boy asked eagerly when he reached Stan. Stan nodded in response. The boy in the scarf noticed Stan had a backpack around his shoulders. The boy watched, interested, as Stan adjusted his shoulder straps and swung the backpack around to the front of his body. Stan unzipped the backpack and pulled out a pair of ice skates tied together by laces. "Here's mine." Stan said, holding them up for a moment then carelessly letting them drop to the ground.

"You brought another pair, right?" The boy asked excitedly. Stan nodded at the boy's question and carefully reached in the backpack. The boy in the scarf was so excited when Stan pulled out another pair of ice skates. Stan held them out to the boy, who grabbed them enthusiastically. "Let's go put them on!" He suggested. The brown haired boy raced back over to the bench, and took a seat quickly. He started to kick off his snow boots, eager to learn ice skating.

Stan took a seat next to him, and moved a bit slower to get his ice skates on. "Is this really your first time?" Stan asked. The boy nodded in reply. "Yeah, I never got to try something like this before…"

"It's fun." Stan said. "I'll show you, just be careful, and try to keep your balance."

"Ok…" the boy trailed off, unsure of his own abilities.

After a few minutes, the two finally pushed their feet into the small ice skates. Stan carefully led his friend down to the shore of Stark's pond. "Are you ready?" Stan asked his friend. The boy held onto Stan's red mitten. Stan's grip was gentle and warm. The fabric of his mitten tickled the boy's bare hand. The boy in the scarf couldn't help himself from blushing slightly as he gazed in Stan's deep, innocent, blue eyes.

"I'm ready." The boy confirmed.

Hesitantly, the boy stepped out onto the ice. His feet wobbled a bit as his skates touched the slippery ice beneath him. Stan put an arm around his back and held one of his hands firmly, trying his best to keep his friend's balance. The boy slid forward slightly, then slowly came to a halt. Stan looked at him with an unknown expression.

"I'm a bit nervous…" the boy admitted.

Stan shook his head. "Don't be, it's easy. Here, take my hands." Stan slightly pushed his skates forward and swung around to be face to face with the boy. The boy's face turned red and he blushed as he took Stan's hands. Behind Stan, the sky was glowing a slight orange color as the sun was slowly setting.

"I'll probably fall…" the boy said, worried about his performance in front of the boy he had a crush on.

The boy reached forward and took Stan's gentle hands.

"Ok…" Stan started. "First, slide your feet back and forth on the ground, to get a feeling for the lack of friction."

The boy followed Stan's instructions and slid his feet back and forth across the slippery ice. He felt the slippery surface underneath him, and felt he understood that depending on his force against the ice, he would move a certain way.

"It's kind of like…you have to 'go' with the slide." Stan explained. "Here, I'll guide you to one end of the pond, just hold on to me, we'll go slowly." Stan released one of his hands from the boy and gripped the boy's wrist with the other. Stan faced forward. "Watch how my feet move, you have to push against the ice to get your momentum going…just hold on to me, and watch." The boy took a deep breath.

"Ok, here we go." Stan started to kick against the ground.

The boy felt a small tug against his wrist. Suddenly, he began to slide along the surface with Stan. The boy tried to balance himself as Stan lightly tugged him along.

"See? It's not so bad." Stan said, looking back to smile at the boy.

"It's nice to have someone teach me…" the boy said. The boy's innocent eyes suddenly averted his eyes from Stan's as he realized that his comment might have come across as flirty.

'I hope he didn't notice…' the boy half-wished.

Moments later, Stan and the boy arrived at the other end of the pond.

"See? That wasn't so bad." Stan said with a slight grin. The other boy smiled back at Stan, and took in his blue eyes for a moment. "I want you to try it by yourself." Stan said. "I believe in you." Stan released his grip from the boys hand. The boy slightly slid his skates to turn around. While he still felt wobbly, he was prepared to prove himself in the presence of Stan.

'He believes in me…' the boy had never heard words like that before. 'I'm going to prove myself to you, Stan...'

The boy in the scarf stared at the other end of the pond and focused his gaze on the Stark's Pond bench.

'Just focus on that…that's where I want to head towards…' The boy slid his skates slightly in front of him, moving forward by just a few inches. Stan was standing just inches behind him. The boy inhaled sharply, then let out a slow, long breath. His breath rose in the freezing air.

"Let's go."

The boy reached his foot forward and angled his skates slightly. With some effort, he pushed against the ice. The boy suddenly started to slide across the icy surface of the pond. He felt a bit wobbly, but managed to maintain his balance. When he felt confident, he kicked his skates against the ground again, going faster with every motion. The cold air felt good against his red cheeks. He became filled with energy when he realized he was finally achieving his goal.

'I'm…I'm doing it…'

The boy pressed against the ice with his skates, and slowly accelerated little by little. He was still a little wobbly, but managed to keep his balance nonetheless.

'I'm really doing it!' he thought excitedly. "I'm doing it!" he shouted with a look of glee on his face. 'Thank you Stan…' The boy continued to slide across the ice with a big grin on his face. He made himself use the friction to come to a slow halt at the far end of the pond. He couldn't believe he had really done it. He had been so nervous, even through his excitement. Suddenly, the young boy heard the sound of ice scraping just behind him. He turned around and saw Stan leap slightly off the ground and twist his body around in mid-air. Stan landed gracefully against the ice and slowly came to a halt in front of the boy. Stan grinned at the boy, who was trying hard to hide his feelings.

"Showoff." the boy teased.

"You did it!" Stan said encouragingly. Stan let his skates slide back slightly.

"I knew you could do it…" Stan said. "You're something special!"

The boy in the scarf blushed.

For the rest of the day the boy and Stan spent the day together. Stan had taught him how to do figure eights. The boy was so excited to learn more from Stan. Their time together had all passed quickly enough, the sun was setting when Stan finally realized he should be heading back.

"It's getting dark, we should probably head home." Stan said.

"Right." The boy in the scarf agreed. Stan and the boy skated together back to the other end of Stark's Pond. The boy was a little disappointed Stan had to leave, he wanted to spend all day with him, learn more from him, and feel good from Stan's praise. As the two skated across the ice together, snow began falling from the dim sky.

"It's snowing…" the boy said. He held his hands up in the air as he skated across the ice. The boy didn't even realize that Stan had paused in front of him, expecting him to stop. The boy snapped his eyes on Stan and collided right into him. Upon impact, the boy panicked and put his arms around Stan's body. The two struggled to retain their balance. After a few moments of stumbling around, the two finally found equilibrium. The two looked into each other's eyes, then instantly began laughing.

"I'm s-s-so…sorry!" the boy panted out between breaths. He was laughing so hard he could hardly speak.

'He makes me so happy...I can really laugh around him...'

The two skated back to the shore of Stark's Pond and made their way up to the hill, where the bench was now covered with a few snowflakes. The boy felt sad as he approached the bench, for he knew the day was coming to an end.

The two sat down on the bench together and began working their feet out of the ice skates. The boy in the scarf had sore feet from his learning efforts. Next to him, Stan took his feet out and stretched them in mid-air, curling his toes a few times before slipping them back into his winter boots. The boy in the scarf mimicked him. The boy was staring at Stan. Seeing his face through the snow was perhaps the most beautiful thing the boy ever saw.

'I want to tell him so bad…'

"Hey…Stan." The boy let the words slip from between his lips.

Stan worked his feet into his boots and turned to face the boy. "Yeah?"

"I…" the boy choked on his words.

'I have to say something…' he thought in a panic.

"We uh…" the boy tried to think rapidly in order to come up with something.

"We're best friends…forever right?"

The snow fell around the boys silently as they glanced into each other's eyes.

Stan chuckled a bit. He reached over and patted a hand on the boy's brown haired head.

"I have another best friend, Kyle. But I suppose it can't hurt to have two." Stan said with a big grin.

"Hey…" the boy in the brown scarf started. "Is there anyone you…like?"

"Of course." Stan said. The boy in the brown scarf could have sworn his face was redder than ever before.

'Is it…me?' the boy wondered to himself.

"There's this girl called Wendy. We've been dating for a while now." Stan said.

The boy's heart sunk deeply. He felt as if he had been punched in the gut. He only knew Stan a short time, but already loved him more than anyone he had met before. The boy almost instantly wanted to tear up in front of Stan.

'No…I have to hold it in…' he told himself.

Stan got up. "Well, thanks for hanging out today." The boy looked down silently at the snow. "Yeah…" he said quietly. Stan began to walk in the boy's direction.

"I'll see you later…" Stan said. The boy felt tense as Stan walked around the corner of the bench and prepared to pass by him. Before Stan left, he put a hand against the boy's shoulder.

"Don't worry, we're best friends forever." The boy heard Stan walk away. He heard Stan's boots crunch against the snow underneath him.

The boy let his tears silently fall down his face. The boy kept crying...

And the Snow Kept Falling...


	37. SM: Forward

_**Author's Note:** Hey everyone! So I'm almost all caught up on my homework and took a break to type out another chapter. I hope the last chapter left you all interested, I know I'm certainly excited to continue the story. Things are going to get even better :) _

**_FUN FACT #2:_ **_  
_

_Originally, I had planned to end the series around chapter 10? Then the random idea to make Kyle move came into my mind. While I didn't want to at first, I thought about how it could add more depth to the story. It sure made this story a LOT longer than I had originally expected!_

**_BOOK 2, CHAPTER 1! ENJOY_**

Chapter 37 – Forward

**POV: **Stan Marsh

Stan Marsh sat against the hard wooden surface of the caboose. It was uncomfortable where he was positioned, there was literally nothing else but an empty room with hard wooden floors. Stan had leaned against the wall and put his hat behind his head for some cushion, but it did little to ease his achiness. The train had been running for almost two days now. This was the second night the train continued travelling across the country. Stan couldn't sleep well. He figured he'd arrive in New York City within the next few hours. The anticipation was keeping him awake.

'Once we get to New York…I need to find a ship travelling to Sweden…' Stan went over his plan in his head. He had done a lot of research about Sweden over the years, due to him missing Kyle so much. He wanted to know where he was living, what it was like, and how he could get there if he ever wanted to go.

'I can't believe we're actually going to Sweden…' Stan raised his tired eyes and glanced around the car. Stan noticed Kenny on the floor. The blonde had his hood over his head and was sleeping peacefully. Across from Stan, Cartman slept against the wall with his arms folded across his chest and head down, looking grumpy as usual.

The train bounced lightly up and down as it proceeded down the tracks. Through the small windows in the room, Stan could see the train was passing through a small countryside town. Stan noticed the area out here was so much different. There weren't any mountains like back home. Stan figured the three of them were quite far east now.

'Kyle…just where are you?' This was the same question Stan had asked himself over and over again. No matter what he tried to do, there was something about Kyle's disappearance that had him worried. They were best friends since they were babies, it all just seemed strange that Kyle would just stop all contact with Stan. 'I'm going to find out.' Stan was determined to find Kyle at any cost, no matter what that meant.

Stan glanced back over at Kenny. The blonde's stomach was slowly rising and falling as he dreamt. 'He must be sleeping well.' Stan figured. 'I should get some sleep too…' Stan had trouble sleeping tonight. He was very hungry, and didn't want to head up to the passenger cars for fear he'd be discovered riding without a ticket. Sure, he boarded the train due to an emergency, but it wasn't a good idea to make that apparent to the crew onboard the train.

'I guess I can _try_ to get some sleep…' Stan thought to himself. Stan leaned up against the hard wooden wall of the train car and closed his eyelids. He allowed his thoughts to wander for a little while. He tried breathing slowly, letting his breaths come more naturally. Eventually, his thoughts led him to unconsciousness, and his dreaming began again.

**…**

Stan's dreams led him to the familiar, dark world he had seen many times. Stan laid against the cold snow in his winter clothing and gazed up at the starless sky. The snowflakes above his head slowly descended around him. Each snowflake illuminated the area around him slightly with their multiple, vivid colors.

'Why am I here again?' Stan wondered.

Stan sat up in the snow, it crunched underneath his body. He reached his fingers under the back of his cap and scratched the back of his head. His head felt slightly sore, as if he had been lying against the ground for some time. Stan looked around him at the darkness, trying to see if anything new was happening in this world.

Stan suddenly felt fear pulse through his body as he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the darkness. Stan darted his eyes in the direction of the sound. He began shaking uncontrollably. He felt as if he had lost the ability to move altogether.

'Who is it?' Stan wondered to himself, eyes wide.

Stan watched as a dark figure slowly approached from the darkness. Stan stared down towards the ground, towards the figure's feet. The glowing snow slowly dropped around the figure's feet, revealing some familiar winter boots. These boots were something Stan remembered from long ago.

'Those boots…'

"Stan." Stan heard the familiar voice of someone from his past. Stan raised his eyes, taking in the familiar sights of his eight year old friend. His clothing was the same as it had been when he was young. The same dark green pants, and the same orange jacket he always wore were all too familiar.

"Kyle!" Stan stood up instantly in the snow, and came face to face with a translucent image of Kyle. Kyle appeared just as he looked when he was eight years old. Kyle had the same soft face and same clothing from their days together. Stan blinked, and suddenly felt his entire body become smaller. Stan looked down at his hands, and noticed his gloves seemed looser than before.

"You're the same age as me now, Stan." A young Kyle said in front of him.

Stan put his hands up to his own face. His squeezed his face lightly between his mittens. His face felt squishier, as if Stan had suddenly become youthful again, just as Kyle had said.

'I trust him.' Stan decided. Stan locked his eyes on Kyle's familiar, young eyes. He was burning to speak with him.

"Kyle…" Stan started.

A young Stan and Kyle shared a moment of silence with each other. Their eyes locked onto each other and danced with unknown emotion. Stan suddenly felt a pang of sadness, he missed his friend so much.

"I…" Stan felt a lump rise in his throat.

"We're best friends still, aren't we Stan?" Kyle asked.

Stan couldn't speak to answer Kyle's question. There was a brief, tense silence between them.

"If I meet you again…" Stan paused. "I'll tell you the truth."

Kyle closed his eyes. "I see…"

"I'm going to find you, trust me." Stan declared.

"I believe in you." Kyle replied. "Stan, I need to tell you one thing before you go any further on your journey."

"What?" Stan asked, raising a small eyebrow.

"Listen to me, because if you don't, you could make a big mistake."

Stan formed a hard line with his lips. "Go on." Stan had suddenly noticed his voice was lighter, and squeakier too.

"Stan…I don't want you to come looking for me."

Stan froze and clenched his fists.

"What are you talking about?! You disappeared from us a long time ago, I can't just NOT worry about you! We held each other! We were raised together! All my best memories Kyle…" Stan let tears flow down his young cheeks. "They were with you…"

Kyle sighed. For the first time, Stan saw Kyle's breath rise in the cold air.

"Stan…" Kyle said sadly. "I know it might sound ridiculous. But if you come search for me…" Kyle looked up at the dark sky. "I don't know if you'll like what you find."

"I'm going to find you Kyle. No matter what you say." Stan objected. "Maybe I'm selfish. Maybe your feelings have changed for me. But…in the end…I-"

Stan's words were cut off by Kyle twisting around suddenly.

As Kyle twisted around, Stan saw the most beautiful illusion of his life. As Kyle twirled around, a glorious light green cape suddenly formed itself down Kyle's back. The cape glimmered as it built itself on Kyle. Kyle wore his familiar green hat, but with carved, wooden sticks forming a crown-like shape around his head. Kyle's jacket changed into a long, dark blue shirt. Underneath Kyle's armpits, yellow stripes ran down to his waist. Kyle's pants changed into black and red leggings. It was unlike anything Stan had ever seen before. Stan suddenly saw Kyle reach behind his back and underneath his cape. Stan watched in awe as Kyle pulled out a long silver blade. It shined in the dimness of this strange world.

"Kyle?" Stan asked. It was so odd to see a young Kyle in a combat-like uniform.

Stan blinked once again, and found himself trembling in fear.

'What is he doing?'

Stan had changed location with just the blink of an eye. Suddenly, in front of Stan, there was a large epicenter, which looked as if a bomb had exploded itself across a far stretch of land. Next to Stan, a beat up wooden sign with the words 'South Park' were etched on it.

"This…this can't be…" Stan said to himself.

In the sky, a blood red moon shone over the destroyed town of South Park. Stan gasped as he saw a young Kyle dash out in front of him. Kyle ran forward, then bent his knees slightly. Stan watched in awe as Kyle launched himself high into the sky. Stan's jaw dropped as he watched Kyle launch several feet above the Earth. In the direction Kyle was headed, Stan saw a dark shadow crossing the sky towards Kyle.

Stan saw Kyle clash with the dark figure in mid-air. Two swords met each other, and Stan felt a large gust of air run through Stan's his hair. It blew his cap off far behind him.

"Kyle!" Stan screamed after his best friend.

**…**

Stan jerked his eyes open and hunched forward quickly. He struggled to catch his breath. Stan took long, deep breaths. Next to him, Stan saw Kenny stir from his sleep and blink his eyes open a few times. Stan put a hand to his sweaty forehead. Kenny blinked a few times at Stan, then sat up quickly.

"Stan, are you OK?" Kenny asked.

Stan didn't respond, he just huffed a few more times.

"Kenny…" Stan said. "You don't think…we're making a mistake finding Kyle do you?"

Kenny looked as if he couldn't believe what Stan had just said. "Wh-Stan? You want to find Kyle don't you?"

Stan remained silent at his question. He shook his head a bit.

"I'm sorry, Kenny, I just had a bad dream…"

"Do you want to talk about it?" Kenny offered.

Stan lowered his head to the ground, staring at the wooden surface of the car.

"Kenny…do you think we'll find Kyle?" Stan asked.

Kenny crossed his arms in front of his chest. "What kind of question is that? Of course we will. We should arrive in New York any minute now, right?"

Stan's eyebrows perked up. "That's right, we're getting close, aren't we?"

Kenny shrugged. "Closer than we were before. This train's last stop is in New York City. We have to make sure to keep a lookout for any skyscrapers or signs we're getting close."

Across the car, Cartman snored in his sleep. Stan and Kenny locked eyes on their chubby friend for a moment, then chuckled together.

"He can sleep through anything, I swear." Kenny mused.

Stan raised his head and looked out of the small windows of the caboose. The stars were glittering in the sky.

'We must be getting close by now…'

"Hey Stan." Kenny said. Kenny crossed his legs underneath him and sat in front of Stan. "You know, if you ever need it…I'm always here to listen…" Stan looked at Kenny. His face seemed to get a little darker under the dim light. Kenny averted his eyes from Stan's gaze and stared at the ground. "You know…if you want to…" Kenny flicked his eyes nervously back to Stan.

"Kenny…" Stan said, a bit nervously. "You've…you've always been a good friend to me…I honestly wish I could have spent a bit more time with you growing up. I know you were a part of our group…it's just…I felt like I spent a lot more time with Kyle than with you…I hope I never made you feel left out or anything…"

Kenny shook his head and waved his hands in the air. "No, no!" Kenny replied. "You've never really made me feel that way…and spending time with you now…I guess that makes up for the past, right?" Stan wasn't sure if he should smile or not.

"Kenny…do you ever wonder about being with someone?"

Kenny inhaled nervously. "I…uhm…" Kenny blushed nervously at Stan's question.

Stan laughed. "Seriously, when are you going to find yourself someone?"

Kenny scratched the back of his head. "I'm not sure…"

"Well, I can tell you one thing." Stan said.

"What's that?" Kenny asked.

"If you would truly go out of your way for someone, that means you love them enough."

Stan's ambiguous comment was left in the air for a few moments.

Suddenly, the train whistled loudly.

"Wait a minute…" Stan said in surprise.

Stan quickly got up from the floor and ran for the rear of the caboose. He opened the door and stepped out onto the wooden platform. Stan gasped as he took in the sight in front of him. Stan was gazing out over an enormous lake. On the other side of the lake, several sky scrapers loomed high in the sky. Stan instantly spotted the empire state building.

"Stan?" Kenny asked as he exited the caboose. Stan watched in awe as New York City loomed just in front of him.

"Woah!" Kenny said. "It's…it's incredible!"

"I know!" Stan replied. Stan held on to the metal bars as the train traveled towards the outskirts of New York City. "Do you know what this means?" Stan asked excitedly.

"It means we're one step closer to finding Kyle." Kenny stated. "Hey Stan, how are we…you know…going from here?"

Stan sighed. "All right, let me explain a bit."

"I brought some extra cash with me, it's in my backpack, along with some other things we need. First, we're going to get something to eat, because I'm seriously starving right now."

Kenny's stomach rumbled. Kenny blushed and giggled in embarrassment.

"I see your stomach agrees, too." Stan chuckled. "Anyway…so once we arrive at New York City central station, we're going to find some place to eat together. Afterword's, at the very eastern side of Manhattan, there's a large harbor that holds both cargo ships and cruise ships. Sadly, I don't think we'll be travelling in luxury. I don't have enough money for that. However, cargo ships are cheaper to buy rooms on. We need to find a ship headed for Stockholm, Sweden. Once we do that, we can board it, and travel over to Sweden. It should take a few weeks, roughly."

Kenny sighed. "That seems like a long time."

Stan nodded. "I know, but we're doing this for Kyle. I have his address, so as soon as we get to Sweden, that's our number one stop."

Stan and Kenny twisted around suddenly as they heard movement from within the train car.

"Hey fags, what's goin'- woah!" Cartman said as he noticed New York City in the distance. A slight breeze picked up. Stan watched as it blew through Cartman's hair. "This is...incredible. We're eating when we stop right? My stomach is killing me."

The train twisted around slightly, and the tracks led the boys along the edge of the enormous lake. It seemed as if the lake was sparkling from the stars in the sky.

"Yes, Cartman." Stan replied. "We're going to eat somewhere…somewhere…nice…"

"Sweeeeet." Cartman said. Stan chuckled a bit. That was something always did as a kid. He would always enunciate his words a certain way when he was younger. Seeing him older and bringing up his old habit made Stan amused.

"We're going to be together again." Stan said. "Kenny…Cartman…me…and Kyle…we're making a step, guys. We're getting closer. It's interesting…it almost feels like we're going to be…legendary for doing this…" Stan grinned. "Let's rock!"

"Yeah!" Kenny agreed. He held out a fist high in the air. Stan followed suit. The two looked at Cartman in expectation.

"Too lazy." Cartman complained.

Stan and Kenny lightly brought their fists down on Cartman's head. "Ass-munch…" Stan mumbled.

**…**

**Elsewhere…**

A boy wearing a brown scarf sat inside a small coffee shop in New York City. He sipped lightly on his coffee. It tasted warm inside his mouth. The coffee shop was deserted tonight except for a few barista's behind the front counter.

The boy's memories flooded over him again.

**…**

"Hot chocolate?" the eight year old had asked Stan at the time. The sky was a gloomy gray color as the afternoon passed by. Stan and the boy sat together on the Stark's Pond bench. Stan had brought two steaming cups filled with the warm, sweet beverage. The steam from the drinks rose between the boy and Stan.

"It's really good." Stan said. "Try it, I'm sure you'll like it." The boy in the scarf nodded and took a warm cup between his hands. It warmed his bare palms at the very touch.

"Go on." Stan prompted, lifting his own cup towards his eight year old friend before taking a sip.

"I'll try it…" the boy said. He had never tasted hot chocolate before in his life. He was a bit nervous about trying new things. He lifted the cup slowly to his lips, and took a sip between the narrow flap on top of the plastic coffee cup. The sweet beverage filled his mouth. It was unlike anything he had tried before, it was so good to him. The boy swallowed.

"Wow, this_ IS_ good!" the boy said. The steam from the cup had made his cheeks grow a bit red.

'He's so nice to me…' the boy thought. 'I've never had any friends like this before…Thank you Stan, you've really made me happy…'

"There's all sorts of things I can show you." Stan said excitedly. "I can show you how to ice skate tomorrow, if you'd like." The boy didn't know that the next day would bring him a harsh confession.

"Yeah…I think I'd like that." The brown-haired boy replied. "It's fun…spending time with you…"

"I think so, too." Stan replied, grinning.

The two boys smiled at each other with innocent eyes.

'He's my best friend, and always will be…' the boy had thought.

**…**

The boy in the coffee shop took the last sip from his cup and slapped his cup against the table. He rose from the table and proceeded to the front door.

'He's not my friend.' The boy thought bitterly as he left the coffee shop. He stepped out onto the empty streets on the outskirts of New York City.

In the distance, the boy heard a train whistle. The boy suddenly spun around to face the direction of the sound. Something about the sound of the train interested him, though he didn't know why. The boy couldn't see the train past all the buildings surrounding him, but felt something about the train was seemingly beckoning him towards it.

The boy closed his eyes for a moment. A slight gust of wind made his scarf wave slightly.

At that time, he would never expect what the future would bring.


	38. CT: Saying Goodbye - Part I

**_Author's Note:_**_ Yay! Another chapter is done! I'm so hyped for these next few chapters. Thank you for all your positive reviews, I can't believe I'm on book 2 already! I appreciate everyone's continued dedication! This chapter was so bittersweet to write. I love Craig :( _

_**Author Fun-Fact #3:**  
_

_Did you know..._

_I had originally planned to kill off Kyle in one of the early chapters? At first, this story was going to be a short, tragic story. Many ideas branched from Kyle moving away, and the story is going to lead to something very, very important to the rest of the series. Be very excited! :)_

Chapter 38 – Saying Goodbye – Part 1

**POV: **Craig Tucker

'Clyde Donovan…'

Craig repeated his best friend's name over and over inside his head. Craig's eyelids were closed. He felt as if he was floating inside nothingness. His body felt achy, tired. He felt defeated. He wanted to just stay in this state of nothingness forever. He figured it would feel better to feel nothing than to feel the negative.

"Craig?" Craig's eyes flicked open at the sound of his friend's voice. Craig was paralyzed, he couldn't move the rest of his body.

Craig wanted desperately to call out for his best friend, but his lips wouldn't move.

"Craig?" Craig tried so desperately to move his lips. He wanted to speak again, but it seemed like almost his entire body was frozen, unable to move a muscle.

'Clyde!' Craig thought desperately to himself. Craig couldn't see anything else but darkness in this world. 'Clyde?!' Craig flicked his eyes around, but saw nothing but the never-ending darkness.

"Are we friends, still?" Craig heard Clyde's voice ask.

**…**

"Clyde!" Craig bolted upright in his bed. Bright sunshine shone through his window blinds. Craig looked around him and noticed he was back in his all too familiar room. Craig was in his soft pajamas. It was strange, he didn't even remember changing into them the night before.

'I'm…home?' Craig asked himself. Craig looked around at his room. Everything seemed so spotless and clean. Even stranger, Craig didn't feel any pain whatsoever. Craig moved his hand up to his cheek, where his dad had struck him hard what felt like yesterday. He patted the area where he had been hit, but felt nothing but his soft flesh.

'Did I heal that quickly?' Craig kicked his feet out from underneath his bed covers and stood up for a moment. Not a single bone in his body ached as he rose.

'What the hell?' he wondered.

Craig lifted his shirt up slightly and examined his stomach. His father had kicked him hard, he was so sure he had. Yet on Craig's stomach, his flesh seemed normal. There were no dark spots, no pain, nothing.

'What happened?' Craig glanced around his room. 'Was it all…a dream?' he wondered.

Craig dashed over to his window and gazed out at his front driveway. There wasn't a single vehicle out front.

'Everyone is gone?' Craig wondered.

Craig slowly stepped over to his bedroom door. He had to be cautious. He still feared his father greatly. Craig couldn't believe he had told his dad he loved him. Truthfully though, deep down, Craig did. He wanted his father to accept him, and to love him like his own son. Sadly, Craig wondered if that would never be the case.

Craig reached for his doorknob nervously. He opened his door as slowly as he could, trying his best not to make any creaking sounds. Craig's door squeaked as he opened it about halfway. Craig closed his eyes and tensed up, waiting to hear the sounds of his father's boots. When nothing but silence enshrouded the house, Craig carefully stepped outside of his room.

He eyed the stairway carefully. He tried to take in every inch of what he could see in the rooms below. His eyes darted carefully for any of his family members, but he didn't see any of them. Hesitantly, Craig put his hand along the rail and slowly descended down the stairs. Craig lowered his head as far as he could to peer around the stairs into the other rooms, on alert for any life in his house. Craig carefully observed the living room, which he discovered was unoccupied. The kitchen was empty, too.

Craig took a risk and started walking downstairs normally. He felt as if he was walking on eggshells the entire time, the quietness was a bit eerie. Craig reached the base of the stairs and stepped lightly into his living room. He sighed and put his hands on his hips, looking around. Everything seemed clean, just how his parent's had always insisted their house looked. It was dumb, in Craig's opinion. They never had any guests over, anyway.

Craig eyed the glass coffee table in front of his parent's T.V. On top of it, a newspaper sat neatly in the middle. Craig's eyes widened and his heart sank as he read the bold headline on the front page.

'_Young Boy Killed in Mysterious Murder.'_

"No…" Craig's heart sunk. He ran over to the coffee table and snatched up the movie paper. He skimmed the words rapidly. Craig froze and his heart lurched when he saw his best friend's name: Clyde Donovan. Underneath the headline, there was a picture of a smiling Clyde. Craig scrunched the newspaper.

Craig's legs became wobbly. He lost his support and fell to the floor. The newspaper slapped on the floor underneath him. He stared at the page, completely shocked. Craig was tired of crying, but his tears ended up re-surfacing again. He cried silently as he read the headline over and over again. His teardrops slapped onto the newspaper, staining the page.

"Clyde…" Craig choked on his friend's name.

"I…I'm sorry…I didn't spend time with you…for all those years…You kept wanting to see me again…and you wanted to remain a loyal friend to me…Clyde…I'm just…I'm a LOSER!" Craig punched his fist into the carpet.

"I couldn't save you! I couldn't win! I didn't deserve you as a best friend! I'M NOTHING!" Craig curled up on the floor and wept silently.

'I still remember the day we met…too…I wonder if you did...'

Craig let his tears fall down his face as he remembered meeting Clyde.

**…**

"OK children, time for recess!" Mr. Garrison announced to his kindergarten class. Craig hopped out of his seat excitedly, this was his favorite part of the day. It was only his third day of class, and he already loved recess. He loved to go outside and play around on the playground equipment. It was nice to take a break from learning all the numbers and words.

'What will I do today?' Craig wondered as he joined the single file line by the classroom door. He stood behind a young Token, who stood quietly with his hands in his pockets. Behind him, a young, nervous Tweek was shaking slightly and rubbing his hands together.

'So many options…slide, swings, maybe the monkey bars?' Craig eyed the front of the line as he heard angry voices. Cartman was at the front of the line today. Eric sat closest to the door, so it gave him an unfair advantage to be the line leader. Craig saw Stan poke Cartman on the shoulder. "No fair!" Stan said. "You're always the line leader!"

"Respect my authoritah!" Cartman argued.

Mr. Garrison walked to the front of the line. "Eric. You were first in line. But you've also been the line leader for the last few days. Would you maybe consider letting someone else have it today?" Eric huffed. "Fine." Mr. Garrison didn't say a word as he let Stan slide ahead with a grin on his face.

"Alright Stanley, lead the way." Mr. Garrison stepped outside into the hallway and watched as the class shuffled their way out of the room. The moment Token began walking, Craig followed excitedly. 'This is going to be so awesome!' Craig thought.

Afterword's, all the kids would have lunch together back in the classroom. If Craig ate his lunch fast enough, he'd be able to use his spare time to play some games, or perhaps draw a bit. There were a lot of things he could do.

The class line twisted down a hallway and Mr. Garrison pushed open a large double door at the end of the hallway. Bright light shined into the hallway as Mr. Garrison held the door open. "Alright, kids, have fun at recess!" Mr. Garrison said. Stan broke into a run to go out onto the playground. Kyle followed Stan towards the monkey bars. 'I hope I can get a good place!' Craig thought. 'I want the swings today.' The moment Craig reached the door opening, he broke into a run across the yard to the school playground.

Today was a beautiful day, the sun was shining warmly, and not too hot, either. The light green grass was swaying to a light breeze, and there was a lot of nature around today. Craig heard the birds chirping, and even saw some fly overhead as he dashed to the playground. Craig's eyes darted between the different types of playground equipment. He eyed the swings with his innocent blue eyes, unoccupied by anyone.

'I think I'll take the swings today!' Craig decided. Craig chuckled slightly as his young body ran across the yard. He was huffing from the effort, but he was filled with the youthful energy to keep going. Craig couldn't have been happier when he reached the swing set and sat down on the small seat. Craig pushed his feet against the wood chips underneath him, pushing him backwards. He lifted his feet and let his swing fly forward. He stretched his feet in front of him, slowly gaining momentum.

'This is fun!' Craig thought to himself. Craig saw Mr. Garrison standing by the school door, watching the kids play with one another. Craig was all by himself over at the swing set, he couldn't help but feel a bit lonely. Suddenly, Craig saw two grown-ups appear from behind the school doors. They both greeted Mr. Garrison. One man had glasses on. He shook Mr. Garrison's hand, and the two seemed to laugh about something. The other lady had beautiful brown hair and held a small lunchbox in her hand.

Craig suddenly saw a brown haired boy run towards the grown ups. He watched, interested, as the boy ran up and threw his arms around the woman's waist. 'His parents…' Craig figured. Craig had never seen his parent's show up at school before. For the most part, his mother just dropped him off at the front door. 'Oh no…' Craig suddenly remembered he didn't have any lunch today. His young stomach rumbled lightly. "Oh no!" he said out loud. "I don't have any lunch!"

Craig watched as the boy took the square lunchbox from his mother's hands. His mother kneeled down to eye level with him, said a word or two, then kissed the boy on the head before leaving. The brown haired boy handed the lunchbox to Mr. Garrison, who nodded. The boy ran back to the playground and eyed his different options as he ran across the school yard. Craig almost froze when the boy eyed the swing directly next to him. Craig became a bit nervous as the boy came running over.

Craig eyed the boy as he ran over to the swing set. The brown haired boy didn't seem to pay much attention to him. He hopped on the swing set next to Craig without a word, smiling and happy. Craig continued swinging as the boy next to him started gathering momentum. Craig didn't say a word, he just stared ahead the entire time, ignoring the person next to him.

Craig gasped as he saw the boy next to him launch from his swing. The boy flew a few feet and landed firmly on the woodchips. 'Wow…' Craig thought.

Craig pushed his feet against the woodchips underneath him, slowing his motion. The boy turned back and walked for the swing. He sat on it again.

"How did you do that?" Craig asked, amazed. The brown haired boy turned to him. "It's easy. You just kind of slide off when you're ready." The boy explained.

"That was really cool…" Craig said.

"Thank you." The boy replied with a fulfilling grin.

"What's your name?" Craig asked. He wanted to know who this boy was, he seemed so cool.

"I'm Clyde." The boy responded. "What's your name?"

"Craig." Craig replied.

"Hey, our names both start with C's!" Clyde pointed out. He was obviously excited from becoming smarter.

"They do!" Craig replied. "I think I'm going to try that swing trick now!" Craig pushed his feet against the ground and began gathering momentum again. "Don't go too high." Clyde warned. "Just try something really simple. Like where you are now." Craig took a deep breath and tried to keep a steady pace. Every time he got ready to jump, he became nervous, afraid of getting hurt.

"I'll try it…this next…time…" Craig's swing swung forward. As it reached the high point, Craig slid off the swing and dropped just a few inches on the ground. When he realized he was balanced and hadn't fallen over, his body glowed from his sense of achievement.

"I did it!" Craig said excitedly as he turned around.

"Good job!" Clyde complimented with a smile. "That wasn't so hard, was it?"

Craig shook his head. "No, I think I'm ready to go higher this time!"

For the rest of recess the two boys swung together. Craig worked on perfecting his 'swing jumping' abilities. He was a bit jealous that Clyde was so good at it compared to him. 'I'll get just as good as Clyde!' Craig promised himself. When the school whistle blew, Craig and Clyde nodded at each other. The two swung together in unison and jumped off their swings together. They landed firmly in the woodchips.

"All right!" Craig said excitedly. Clyde walked a few steps towards Craig. "Good job!" Clyde said. Clyde raised a hand into the air, awaiting a high five. Craig paused for a few minutes. This was the first time another person in his class offered him a high five. Craig nervously raised his hand, then high fived Clyde back. It felt good to have a sense of companionship with one another.

"Hey, do you want to sit together for lunch?" Clyde asked. Craig frowned a bit, remembering that he didn't have any lunch today. He figured it wouldn't hurt to sit with a friend, though.

Craig nodded. "Yeah, sure!" The two ran for the line that was gathering by the school doors. Craig and Clyde would be the last two in line, but they didn't care. They were having fun today. The two ran alongside each other, chuckling and smiling gleefully. Craig felt so happy.

"Race you!" Clyde challenged. Clyde began running slightly faster. Craig leaned forward. "Hey, no fair!" Craig began dashing after Clyde. Clyde was so fast, Craig couldn't believe how talented Clyde was. Not only was he good at jumping off swings, but he was a fast runner, too! Craig slowly lagged behind Clyde. Clyde huffed as he finally reached the line. Craig was panting as he lined up in the back.

"Y-You're good…" Craig said between breaths.

"Y-You too…" Clyde replied.

Craig shook his head. "No I wasn't, you won."

Clyde frowned. "That doesn't mean you're bad at it. Just practice at it, it makes you better. Then you can get better and better each time. We should practice running sometime!" Clyde grinned.

"Sounds good!" Craig replied.

The two followed the line back through the school hallways and back into the classroom. Everyone but Craig went to their small cubbies and pulled out their lunchboxes. Clyde sat down at his desk and stared at it blankly. All the other student's pulled out their lunch, but Craig was left with nothing. He leaned forward and put his head between his hands. "Hmm…." He grumbled.

Clyde took a seat at the desk next to Craig. "Where's your lunch?" Clyde asked.

"I…I forgot it at home…" Craig admitted, embarrassed.

"Aren't you hungry?" Clyde asked.

Craig nodded. "Yeah. A bit…" Craig's stomach grumbled loudly. Clyde chuckled. "I guess your stomach thinks so." Craig's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Well, let's see what I have." Clyde said. He clicked open his metal lunchbox. Craig twisted his head over. "No thanks." Craig said. "I don't want to take your food."

Clyde shook his head. "You can't be hungry, you have to eat. Mr. Garrison said it's good for our brains, remember?" Craig sighed. "I guess so, I don't want to take your food though…didn't your parent's pack it for you. Would they be mad if you shared it?" Clyde shook his head. "My mom and dad would be proud of me."

Craig's lips formed a hard line. He had never heard his parent's say they were proud of him. Craig felt he was becoming smarter already, surely he would become smart enough to make his parent's proud. "I know!" Craig said. "We'll make both of our parent's proud. I'll tell you what! I'll share something with you tomorrow!" Craig suggested. "That way we can both maybe…get a reward for sharing?" Craig grinned.

Clyde's face seemed to glow at the idea. "Sure!" Clyde said. "What do you want?" Clyde asked. He held his lunchbox out to Craig. Craig examined its contents. Inside there was an apple, some Snacky Smores, a fruit roll-up, and a sandwich split into two pieces.

"You can have half of my sandwich. Its peanut butter and jelly. And you can have one snack, I'll let you pick!"

Craig examined his options carefully. He typically only had a cheese sandwich and an apple for lunch. Clyde had so many different options.

"Can I have the Snacky Smores?" Craig asked. "Sure!" Clyde said, grinning. "Take them!"

Craig picked out the Snacky Smores. Clyde set the lunchbox back on his desk and took his sandwich out of the small plastic tin. He handed half of it to Craig. "Here you go." Clyde said. Craig took the soft bread in his small hands and bit into it. It tasted so good.

"Thank you." Craig said between a bite.

"You're welcome." Clyde said.

Craig suddenly noticed Clyde had a red racer lunchbox.

"Hey, do you watch red racer?!" Craig asked excitedly.

Clyde's eyes widened. "I do!" he said.

The two boys spent their lunch talking about the show red racer. Craig didn't know one other person in the class who watched red racer. The few people he had met all said they didn't watch it. Craig was so glad to find someone with a mutual interest.

As the day passed, Craig and Clyde sat together for class activities. They sat on the rug together for story time, laughing together at the funny pictures in the picture book. They also helped each other count with their fingers. It was a lot of work, but the two helped each other learn. By the end of the day, their young minds had learnt quite a bit.

"You're really smart!" Craig said to Clyde as the classroom started cleaning up, preparing to go home.

"I might be good at running. But you're good with numbers!" Clyde responded.

Craig grinned at Clyde's praise. "I can help you with numbers! You can help me with running!"

Clyde nodded. "Alright."

"OK children, line up at the door." Mr. Garrison instructed.

Craig put away the last of the Legos he had been playing with and reached down to the floor for his small backpack. Craig then dashed over to the line. Craig saw that Clyde was in the front of the line this time. Craig was, once again, the last one in line. Clyde looked back and saw Craig. "Craig." Clyde said from the front of the line. "You can be the line leader." The young students looked back at Craig. Craig felt a bit nervous at their stares. Craig was never happier at the fact he could be the line leader.

"That was very nice of you." Mr. Garrison said as Craig walked up front. "If you are ever line leader, Craig. I think you should let Clyde lead the way." Craig nodded in agreement. He turned back to Clyde. "Thank you...Clyde."

"Alright, let's go outside and get picked up!" Mr. Garrison said. Craig was excited as he took the first step outside of the classroom. It felt so cool to have so many people follow him at once.

'Clyde was so nice to me…' Craig thought.

Craig led the students' out to the parking lot, where several cars were pulling up along the sidewalk to pick up the students of South Park Elementary. Everyone's parents were coming to pick them up. Craig stood next to Clyde and the two chattered about everything that happened throughout the day as they waited.

Craig's heart sunk when he saw Clyde eye his parents car pull up to the sidewalk. "That's my ride." Clyde said. Clyde walked over to Mr. Garrison and tugged on his sleeve. "My parents are here." He told him. Mr. Garrison walked Clyde over to his parent's vehicle and pulled the car door open for Clyde. "He was very good today." Mr. Garrison told Clyde's parents. "I'm sure he was." Craig heard Ms. Donovan say sweetly. "I guess that means we'll stop for some ice cream on the way home!"

"Yay!" Clyde said. Ms. Donovan turned around from the front seat and began strapping Clyde into the seat. "Bye Clyde." Mr. Garrison said after Clyde was securely strapped in. Mr. Garrison shut the car door and walked back towards the sidewalk. Craig saw Clyde eyeing him from his car seat. Clyde waved at him. Craig waved back and smiled. Craig already missed Clyde the moment the car pulled away.

Craig huffed. "This stinks." He said to himself. His friend left for the day. At least he would get to see him tomorrow.

A few minutes later, Craig saw his mother's car pull up to the sidewalk. Craig dashed over to Mr. Garrison. "My mom is here." He told him. Mr. Garrison nodded and walked Craig over to his mother's car. Mr. Garrison opened the back door for Craig, who stepped into the vehicle. "Craig was very good today." Mr. Garrison told his mother.

"I'm sure he was." Craig's mom said, grinning back at him. Craig felt happy at his mother's praise. Craig's mom helped strap Craig into the seat. "Bye Craig." Mr. Garrison said. Mr. Garrison shut the door and Craig's mom began driving away.

"So how was school today?" his mom asked.

"It was great!" Craig said. It was obvious what he was going to tell his mother next.

"I made a friend today!" Craig said excitedly.

"You did?!" Craig's mom asked enthusiastically. "Who's your new friend?"

"His name is Clyde. He's really good at running and swinging!"

Craig's mom giggled. "It sounds like it."

"Hey mom." Craig said. Craig saw his mom look at him through the rear view mirror.

"Yes, hon?"

"Do you think dad will be happy I made a new friend?"

"I don't see why not." Ms. Tucker replied. "Why don't you tell him when you get home?"

"OK!" Craig said excitedly.

**…**

Craig hopped out of the car and ran up to his front door. His backpack swung behind him as he ran. Craig excitedly flung the door open. To his left, he saw his dad sitting in the living room chair watching T.V.

"Hey, dad!" Craig said excitedly. He ran up to his dad and tapped on his arm. Craig's dad pulled his arm away from Craig's touch. He leaned forward to grab a beer off the coffee table and took a sip.

"What do you want?" Craig's father asked.

"I just…wanted to tell you I made a new friend today!" Craig said happily.

"Good for you." Craig's dad said, uncaring.

"His name is Clyde, he's awesome!"

Craig's dad turned his head towards him.

"Shut up, I'm watching T.V." he said sternly.

Craig's young heart lurched at that comment. Craig didn't say another word. Tears streamed down his face as he ran upstairs to his bedroom. Craig threw his backpack on the floor and cried into the pillow.

'I thought he'd be proud of me…' Craig thought.

Craig glanced out his window and stared out at the setting sun.

'You can help me, Clyde. You can tell me how to make my dad proud.'


	39. CT: Saying Goodbye - Part II

**_Author's Note:_**_ Hey everyone! I'm finally done with my first semester at University and am raring to go on another chapter for you all to enjoy! This chapter, I felt, was fairly bittersweet, but it adds a lot of depth to the Craig/Clyde friendship to me. I absolutely miss Clyde already :(_

_Author Fun Fact **#5:****  
**_

_Originally, the series was only going to involve Stan and Kyle? But when I realized how much I loved ALL the South Park characters, I decided to make multiple points of view. Because I added other characters to the story, I came up with several clever ideas to keep the series going. And now, the ending is basically decided. It'll be a long adventure until then, but the ending was decided the very moment I decided on the six characters having a part in the story. _

_I'd love to hear some feedback on your predictions for the ending(even if it is far away). _

_Alright, run off! (or rather, have your eyes wander the page). And enjoy the new chapter! Thanks for your dedication! 3_

Chapter 39 – Saying Goodbye – Part 2

**POV: **Craig Tucker

'I need to go and clear my head…' Craig thought. Craig stood up off the floor and walked back upstairs. His tears had left red streaks down his face. Craig's heart was hurting, he wanted to let some steam off in a different way. Craig walked over to his bed, where his shoes were placed neatly on the floor. Craig sat down on his bed for a minute and took a deep breath. He twisted his head behind him to stare out his window at the gray overcast that seemed as if it had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Craig leaned forward and began working his shoes onto his feet silently. Craig walked over to his closet and pulled his door open slowly. He grabbed a dark blue hoodie and swung it around his body. Craig felt so tired, he just wanted to go for a walk for a bit. Anything to get away from somewhere that reminded him of his past or Clyde.

'Sometimes, it's like I can never escape my worries…' Craig thought. Craig left his room and slowly descended his stairs. He eyed his front door and headed over to it. He swung the door open into the cool morning weather. Craig descended his front steps and walked across his dark green lawn. He found the sidewalk and began walking along it, seemingly headed to nowhere.

'Clyde and I used to walk home together all the time…' Craig remembered.

'I'll never forget the day we promised each other…'

Craig flashed back to his memories, and his past story continued.

**...**

"OK, Craig, wonderful presentation! You can have your seat." Mr. Garrison's classroom applauded half-heartedly at Craig's science class Project. For class, everyone had to make a poster explaining something that everyone had researched. This was only a second grade assignment, but to Craig, it had been a lot of work. After still being so enthralled with his favorite show: Red Racer, Craig decided to make a poster describing how race cars go 'really fast,' as he had worded it.

"I think that's all the presentations we'll do today, let's all head out for recess." Mr. Garrison instructed.

Craig slid back into his hard metal seat next to Clyde. "That was good." Clyde said.

"Hardly." Craig replied in his monotone voice. "Yours was way better."

Clyde scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Mine wasn't that good…I mean really, I learned lots of stuff from your project."

"Hey, what are you doing for lunch today?" Craig asked.

Clyde frowned, something he rarely ever did. "Uhm..."

Craig raised an eyebrow curiously. "What's the matter?"

Clyde chuckled. "I don't think I should talk about it here…"

"Do you want to talk about it outside?" Craig asked.

Clyde nodded. "Yeah…let's go to the usual spot." Craig and Clyde hopped up out of their seats and made their ways over to the single file line by the classroom door "I'm going to tell you a secret." Craig heard Clyde whisper behind him. 'What secret?' Craig wondered. Craig's thoughts were cut off by the line suddenly moving out of the room.

Craig followed the line through the school halls. Craig was so happy when he saw the double school doors at the end of the hallway open wide and let the sunshine burst through the hallway. The kids began running as soon as they reached the doors. Craig reached the doors and began running towards the playground. He eyed the monkey bars, this was the place that Craig and Clyde had made their 'official meeting spot' since the end of kindergarten.

'Craig, if we ever need to talk, we'll do it here.' Clyde had told Craig once a long time ago.

A young Craig gripped one of the monkey bars tightly and pulled himself upwards. With some effort, he pulled himself up to the top of the monkey bars. Craig was now sitting on top of the bars, overlooking the rest of the playground. Craig saw Clyde run towards the monkey bars. Clyde gripped one of the bars and slyly pulled himself upwards, perhaps a bit faster than Craig.

"A little friendly competition?" Craig teased.

Clyde shook his head. "Nah."

The two sat on top of the monkey bars for a moment in silence.

"So…?" Craig started. "What's your big secret?"

"I can tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone." Clyde said.

Craig smiled. "I promise."

"Ok…" Clyde started. "Well, you see...I'm supposed to get in a fight today."

Craig's jaw dropped. "With who?! Don't you want to tell a teacher?"

Clyde eyed the ground underneath them. "Well…it's uhm…"

"Why would you fight?" Craig asked. "Don't hurt yourself."

"I'm fighting for you." Clyde blurted out.

Craig fixed his blue eyes on Clyde. Clyde looked frustrated. "I'm fighting because Bill and Fosse were making fun of you. I tried defending you but they just kept on doing it. I couldn't let them keep talking about you like that, so I told them to stop or I'd beat them up. And now…they…"

"What were they saying?" Craig interrupted.

"They called you all sorts of names." Clyde said. "They said you were 'gay,' weird, all sorts of mean things."

Craig felt his anger rise inside of him. "Those jerks! If you need one more person to fight them. I'm your guy." Craig said, pointing a thumb towards his chest.

"I don't want you to fight." Clyde said. "I don't want to see you get hurt."

"I'm strong, I know I can fight and win." Craig insisted. "Besides, if I didn't help my friend, what kind of friend would that make me?"

Clyde stayed silent for a minute. "I'm thinking about backing down from the fight. I don't really know much about fighting, but having to fight Bill _and_ Fosse…I just don't know." Clyde shook his head in frustration.

'He's actually willing to fight for me…' Craig said. Craig pondered over a decision for a few minutes. 'He's fighting for me…because I'm his friend…now that I know this…if he fights…' Craig turned his face towards the swing set, where Bill and Fosse were swinging together and chuckling.

"Clyde." Craig said. "Wait here."

"Wha-?" Clyde asked as Craig slipped off the monkey bars. His feet slammed into the woodchips underneath him when he landed. 'I'll put a stop to this.' Craig thought. Craig held his head high and walked over to the swingset. Bill and Fosse eyed Craig as he approached. The two seemed to share a whisper, then break out into laughter as Craig neared them.

"Hey." Craig said. "What's so funny?"

"Hehe, nothing." Bill said.

"It didn't look like anything." Craig said sternly.

"We were wondering if you were gay." Fosse said. The two broke out into laughter. Craig blushed slightly.

"Shut up!" Craig replied. "I've heard you've both been talking about me behind my back. What have I ever done to you?"

"We just don't like you." Fosse said, uncaring.

"Why?" Craig asked. "What have I done?"

"You're voice is always the same. You're shorter than most others. You usually only hang out with Clyde, that looks pretty gay. You're pretty ugly, you only wear blue…" Fosse listed off his personal list of complaints.

"I can't help the way my voice is." Craig said seriously.

"You can help US by going away." Fosse said, using a sweeping motion with his hand. "Go away."

"And you can help me. You two want to fight?" Craig asked, locking his eyes on the two boys.

Bill and Fosse glanced at each other. "We don't like to hit girls." Bill joked. "Yeah, one that would probably cry, too." Fosse replied. The two broke out into laughter.

"I'll bet five dollars I can beat both of you." Bill and Fosse raised their eyebrows. "You? Beat us?" The two started chuckling loudly. Bill and Fosse both stood up. "Right now?" Craig felt his heart began to beat faster. "No. After school, by the flag pole."

"It's on." Bill and Fosse said in unison. The two walked towards Craig. As they passed, the two bumped their shoulders hard against Craig's.

'I'm going to win…' Craig promised.

**…**

Back in the present, Craig was walking along the sidewalk in silence. Craig's travels had brought him to South Park Elementary, still familiar as ever. Craig walked across the parking lot towards the school. 'I wonder what next year will be like.' Craig wondered. He thought about being re-united with all of his friends again, except for the notable absence of Clyde.

Craig walked around the side of the school towards the back, where the playground came within view. Craig strolled across the lawn over to the familiar playground equipment. Towards the school doors, the flagpole stood high in the air, where a single flag blown lightly in the wind.

'The flagpole…' Craig remembered. 'That reminds me of when I fought Bill and Fosse for Clyde. I'll never forget what happened…either.'

**…**

The classroom clock was ticking away as the last minutes of the day approached. A young Craig glared at Bill and Fosse across the room. 'I'm going to kick their asses.' Craig promised himself. Every second that ticked by made Craig's heart beat faster. He was scared, but he forced himself to remain brave.

'I'm going to win, no matter what!'

Craig's heart sunk when the school bell suddenly dinged loudly.

"Alright children, have a great day." Mr. Garrison said.

"Let's go." Craig said to Clyde. Craig slipped out of his seat and navigated through the halls towards the back door of the school.

"Craig, you really don't have to do this." Clyde insisted. "It was my fight anyway."

Craig shook his head. "If this gets them to stop, and I know I can do it, I'll fight for you."

"Craig." Clyde pressed a hand hard against Craig's shoulder, making him stop in place. "Please, don't."

Craig turned back to the young Clyde. Craig lightly brushed Clyde's hand off his shoulder. "This is my fight. Not yours. You were going to fight for me, and I would easily do the same for you."

Clyde's eyes danced with deep appreciation as he started at Craig. "Craig…you'd really fight for me?"

"Yes, I would." Craig turned his back to Clyde and marched towards the back doors of the school. Craig pushed the doors open and instantly heard loud cheering as he marched across the school lawn towards the flagpole, where a large group of students were huddled around excitedly. As Craig approached the circle, some students moved out of the way, allowing Craig to pass through.

Craig eyed Bill and Fosse both leaning against the flagpole with their arms crossed. "You ready, girl?" Fosse teased.

"I'm ready to kick your ass." Craig retorted. A few students gasped at Craig's comment. A few other's cheered. "Go Craig!" Red cheered from the audience. "Show these nerds whose boss!"

"Five dollars." Cartman nudged Craig on the shoulder. Craig reached into his pocket and pulled out a five dollar bill. He placed it in Eric's hand. "I'm holding the money, the winner gets all." Cartman explained. "Bill and Fosse paid up. So all is paid for, now go ahead and FIGHT!" Cartman said loudly. The audience fell dead silent. Craig unzipped his blue jacket and threw it aside. Butter's nervously caught Craig's jacket. The poor blonde was shivering. He hated violence, he most likely got pulled along to watch.

Bill and Fosse stepped in front of Craig a few feet away.

"Last chance. Are you backing out or fighting?" Bill asked.

"Fighting." Craig said firmly. His heart was beginning to race. The moment he knew was coming was finally here. His adrenaline began to race and Bill and Fosse prepared themselves. The audience was silent as Craig glared at Bill and Fosse. Everyone was on edge with anticipation. There would only be one winning side in this fight. Craig knew there was the possibility he would lose, but he promised himself he'd try with all his might to win.

"Fine, I'll countdown." Cartman said impatiently. "Three!"

Craig pushed his foot behind him, ready to charge at Bill and Fosse.

"Two!" Bill and Fosse both cracked their knuckles.

"One!" Craig closed his eyes for a moment. 'This is for you, Clyde.'

"Fight!" Craig's eyes flew open, and the boys began charging for each other.

Craig ran up to Bill and swung for his face. Bill ducked, avoiding his blow. Fosse stepped around Bill and slid along the woodchips to stop his motion. As he slid, Fosse swung an arm towards Craig. Craig instinctively reacted, and caught Fosse's punch directly in one hand. The audience burst into cheering at Craig's defending move. Bill, still crouched on the ground, quickly stood up and thrust his arm toward's Craig's stomach. Craig took a quick step back, just enough to be out of reach from Bill's punch.

Bill stumbled forward from his failed punch. 'Now's my chance!" Craig thought. Craig quickly performed an uppercut on Bill. Bill winced at the blow and fell backwards on the ground, clutching his face in his hand. Fosse swung a sideways kick at Craig. Craig ducked underneath his kick, then leaped from the ground and jumped straight into Fosse. Fosse fell to the ground with Craig. Craig pinned Fosse down with his knees over his shoulders. Craig raised a fist high in the air.

"N-n-n-no, please." Fosse said. "I'm sorry, I won't make fun of you anymore." Craig held his fist high in the air, debating whether or not to punch Fosse. Craig inhaled slowly. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. Part of him wanted to punch Fosse into a bloody pulp, but Craig realized Clyde probably didn't want this. 'Would Clyde want peace?' Craig wondered.

Craig saw Fosse grin underneath him. "Too late." Before Craig could understand what Fosse met, he suddenly felt Bill's arm grab him around the neck. Bill pulled him off of Fosse. Craig struggled to escape his grip. "Screw…you…" Craig hissed out. Bill pushed Craig towards the ground hard. Craig's momentum made him slam hard into the ground. He felt his hands and face get scratched by the wood chips.

'Damn it!' Craig thought. He quickly twisted around and felt Bill leap on top of him. Craig lifted his knee and kneed Bill straight in the gut. Bill gripped his stomach. As he fell over, Craig noticed the sun shining on his bruised face. 'I did that?' Craig wondered.

Fosse had already risen from the ground. He ran to the side of Craig and kicked him in the side. Craig let out a wince of pain. "Hehehe." Fosse said menacingly as he continued kicking Craig in the side. Craig felt his pain increasing. "Unggnf…" Craig kept huffing out in pain as Fosse continued to kick him. Finally, Fosse stopped. Craig's chest hurt badly, he clutched his chest and gasped for air.

"I think he's done." Craig heard Bill's voice say.

"Yeah, looks like we won. Five dollars for us!" Fosse said, chuckling.

"No…" Craig said.

Craig lifted his hands and planted them firmly into the ground underneath him. Craig moved very slowly as he tried to stand up. The entire circle watched in complete silence as Craig tried to stand back up with his wobbly legs.

'I…can't lose here…' Craig promised himself. He struggled to stand up, and kept an arm wrapped around his chest. Bill and Fosse watched in disbelief as Craig rose again.

"Craig…" Craig heard Clyde's voice in the audience. Craig slowly moved his eyes over towards Clyde. Craig made a weak smile. Clyde seemed to have a shocked expression on his face.

Craig twisted his head back towards Bill and Fosse. "If you think I'm done…you have another thing coming!"

The audience erupted into cheer. "Craig, you got this!" Craig heard several people cheering him on as he took a few more breaths. Craig stood tall. A light trickle of blood ran down the side of his face from where he had been cut.

'Clyde was going to fight for me…I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't offer…I'm going to win for you Clyde, you're my best friend…and always will be.'

Craig felt another burst of energy run through his body. "Let's go!" he yelled at Bill and Fosse.

Craig ran for Bill first, Bill swung a punch at Craig. As Craig took his next step, he bent forward to avoid the punch. Craig stood up at his final step and used his momentum from running to swing his arm behind himself and punch Bill flat in the face. Bill fell backwards and slammed into the ground. The kids erupted with cheers and praises towards Craig.

"One more!" Craig heard someone shout excitedly. "Go Craig!" The audience was at its highest point of hype as the final round was finally here.

'One more…' Craig stumbled forward on his wobbly legs. He was so exhausted.

"Look at you." Fosse said. His bruise seemed to have gotten a slight bit darker. "You can't…hardly even stand…"

Craig took baby steps towards Fosse. His chest shot with pain nearly every step he took. Craig gritted his teeth through the pain. Craig stumbled towards Fosse.

"You know…one thing I never realized…" Craig huffed out as he forced himself to move toward Fosse. "Is why you don't like me…I've never…" Craig paused his words to wince from pain. He took a few heavy breaths then continued heading for Fosse. "I've never done anything to you…in fact…I'd still say we'd be friends…even if just now you changed your mind."

"As if." Fosse replied. "Girls are icky."

Craig smiled. "I see…"

Craig gathered all of his inner strength to build up to a final blow against Fosse.

'I'll fight through the pain! I'll win!' Craig instantly became filled with courage.

Craig took a few deep breaths. "In that case, Fosse…"

Craig pressed his feet hard into the ground. Craig forced himself to run for Fosse. His chest continued shooting with pain with almost every step, but Craig made himself run through the pain. Fosse looked astonished from Craig's sudden movement. Craig and Fosse punched at nearly the same time.

'This will decide it!' Craig thought. Craig's fist and Fosse's fist were slowly moving towards each other. Craig knew if he took one more hit, he'd likely be down for sure. Craig was relieved when he felt his fist meet the side of Fosse's face. Sadly, it wasn't just Fosse that was punched. Craig felt a shot of pain on his cheek from where Fosse had landed a hard blow. Craig and Fosse both collapsed to the ground.

"So who won?!" Someone in the audience asked excitedly.

"It had to have been Craig!" someone else replied.

"It looks like Fosse is down…but Craig, too." Cartman announced. "I guess that means since no one wins, I get to keep the money…"

"Wait!" Someone else shouted.

Craig moved his fingers slightly and gripped some woodchips underneath him. His clothes were dirty, and his face was bruised from Fosse's blow. Craig laid his hands out flat and slowly pushed himself upwards. The entire circle fell silent once more. Clyde watched Craig with hopeful eyes as his friend struggled to get up.

A drop of blood gathered on the edge of Craig's face. It welled into a small drop, then fell into the wood chips below.

'I promised…' Craig thought to himself. He slowly raised one of his back legs. He coughed as his chest felt painful once more. 'I promised that I'd…' Craig pushed another leg forward. After gathering energy, Craig used his legs to push himself up off the ground. He remained hunched over for a second, then slowly raised his upper body so he was standing straight in the air on wobbly legs.

"I win."

Instantly the audience began cheering. "He did it!" Several claps were heard from the audience and a group of people swarmed up to meet Craig.

"Wow, you were really great!" Token complimented Craig. "We should hang out sometime!"

"I can't believe you really won!" Bebe said. "You were awesome, Craig." Several people patted Craig lightly on the shoulder. "You were fantastic!" a few other people said.

"Are you going to be fine?" Red asked Craig. "Your face is bleeding." Craig lightly dabbed a hand against his face. "Uhm…"

"I'll get it!" Clyde insisted. "There's a first aid kit in the teacher's room, I'll be right back!"

The circle had eventually died down from the excitement. After a few minutes of congratulations, only Craig remained by the flagpole. Bill and Fosse had disappeared during the commotion and probably went home. Craig leaned back against the flagpole and let himself slide down it slowly. He sat on the ground, panting and looking up at the sky.

'I can't believe I won…'

Craig suddenly heard the back doors of the school burst open. Craig saw Clyde running across the school grounds with a small white box. Clyde seemed desperate to reach Craig as soon as he could. Clyde stopped abruptly next to Craig, lowered himself onto his knees, and opened the box.

"I can't believe you did that…" Clyde said, grabbing a cotton ball. Clyde was in the boy scouts this year, so he knew a bit about first aid. "You're such an idiot, what's wrong with you?!" Clyde asked.

Craig smiled. "Because, Clyde...if I had the power to do something for you, I'd do it."

"I want you to make me a promise." Clyde said as he dabbed at Craig's face.

"What?" Craig asked with a raised eyebrow.

"If either of us are ever in a bad situation, we'll do whatever we can to save the other, OK?"

Craig smiled. "I'd do anything for my best friend."

"Craig…" Clyde said. Clyde looked teary eyed for a moment. Craig was shocked when he suddenly felt Clyde's warm embrace around his aching body. Clyde laid his head on Craig's shoulder. A gust of the autumn wind picked up, making Craig and Clyde's hair sway lightly in the breeze.

"Thank you for everything…" Clyde said sincerely.

**…**

In the present, Craig slowly rubbed his hand along the cold metal flagpole. He felt his tears rise again. Craig didn't fight it this time, or rather, he couldn't. His tears overflowed and streamed down his face.

'That same promise we made is what got you killed…'


	40. CT: Saying Goodbye: Part III

_**Author's Note:** Hey everyone, happy 40th chapter! *Confetti and streamers* I'm really really glad that I've been able to share this story with all of you. I know the story has a dark undertone, but I feel it's going to develop into something that hopefully everyone can take something away from it. This is the final chapter in this short Craig 'episode,' if you will. I feel so bad for Craig. :(_

_I uploaded a poll regarding the story to my profile, please consider voting, I'd love to hear your feedback. :)_

**AUTHOR SPECIAL SHOUTOUT GOES TO...**_  
_

_My fabulous friend Chris. Thank you for your feedback on my stories, I know you're going to be a great writer someday!_

_Without further wait, enjoy the final part of 'Saying Goodbye!'_

Chapter 40 – Saying Goodbye – Final: Craig's Poem

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Craig Tucker stood outside the Tweek Bros. coffee shop with his hands in his blue hoodie to keep warm. Craig was weary, exhausted, and drained of energy. He wanted somewhere he could relax, somewhere to avoid all the pain in his life. He wanted a catalyst for his pain, to shoulder the burden he carried.

'I feel like I'm going to go insane…' Craig's chronic stress was truly tearing away at him, both physically and mentally. Craig's head was hurting slightly. 'Withdrawals.' Craig guessed. 'I'll go get some more from Tweek.'

Craig went through the front entrance of the coffee shop. It was fairly spacious inside the coffee shop. A few fans swung lightly overhead, and the coffee shop was comfortably quiet. All the tables were currently empty. Up at the counter, Tweek's father was wiping down the marble surface. As Craig approached, Mr. Tweek glanced up from what he was doing.

"Why hello." Mr. Tweek greeted with a mild grin. "You're Tweek's friend, right?"

Craig nodded. "Yeah, hi…I was wondering if Tweek was here today, I need to talk to him for a quick minute."

Tweek's father looked hesitant for a second. "I think Tweek is busy right now…"

"Just for a minute." Craig insisted. "Please…"

Tweek's father sighed. "All right, he's busy, so please try to keep it short. He's upstairs. I'm sure you know how to get up there."

Craig nodded. "Thank you."

Craig felt bitter as he exited the lounge through a door at the far end of the shop that was labeled 'Employees Only.' Craig figured most likely, Tweek's father just didn't want him around. Craig marched up the stairs towards Tweek's hangout. Craig personally doubted Tweek was 'busy,' considering Tweek takes heroin all the time.

Craig rasped his knuckles a few times on the door. "Tweek?" Craig called. "It's me, can you please open up?" Craig heard some light movement on the other side of the door. "Hold on, man!" Tweek blurted out spastically. A moment later, Craig heard the door unlatch and Tweek opened the door. Tweek's blonde hair was soaked, as if he had just gotten out of the shower. His clothes seemed cleaner today, too. Tweek actually looked better, unlike the drug addict that Craig had labeled him as.

"Hey." Craig started. "Your dad said you were busy, but I'll keep it short. Do you have any h?"

Tweek tilted his head. "I do…do you by chance have any money? It would just help me out a lot of you could buy some from me."

Craig shook his head. "I'm sorry Tweek, I don't…I just…really need to relax right now…" Craig was waiting for some prompt from Tweek that he knew about Clyde's death. When Tweek stared at him with a blank expression, it only confirmed to Craig that Tweek wasn't aware. Craig held back his emotions as best as he could. Craig felt an achy pain in his head. He quickly raised his fingers and touched them against his cool temple. "I'm having bad withdrawals." Craig said. It wasn't necessarily a lie, but Craig was relying on the heroin to ease his stress. Craig wouldn't lie, it did help, though the withdrawals were a pain.

"Alright, I'll give you a little bit." Tweek said.

"Thank you." Craig said in a friendly tone. Craig stepped further inside Tweek's lounge and took a seat on his bed. "I really appreciate this." Craig said.

"No problem, man. We all have stressful times, I just want to help out." Tweek said.

Craig grinned. "A friend who would give another drugs…what better friend could that be?" Craig chuckled, then felt a small wave of shock inside of him. 'Did I really just say that?' That was something Craig would never thought he'd say before. Craig's hands began shaking. 'What am I…?' his thoughts were cut off by Tweek shutting a drawer and walking over to Craig with a small bag. Craig saw the small seeds inside, along with the necessary supplies to take the heroin.

"Supplies." Tweek tapped the bag with his index finger a few times then lightly tossed it towards Craig.

"Thanks." Craig said.

"Craig." Tweek started. Craig met his blue eyes with Tweek's dark green eyes. "I need to tell you something." Craig lightly squeezed the bag with his fingers. "Yeah? What's up?" Craig asked.

"I know it's probably a strange friendship, hanging out with someone from school who is a drug addict…but…I don't know Craig, as your friend, I'm a little worried about you…" Tweek looked at Craig with genuine concern. "It seems you're always depressed, and maybe like…you have some sort of life you're hiding."

"I told you about my dad." Craig replied. "That's stress enough, not to mention Wendy…and now Clyde…" Craig paused immediately upon uttering his friend's name. "Clyde…"Craig repeated. "He…" Craig looked down at the floor.

"He's dead, Tweek..." Craig choked out.

There was a long pause. The room fell silent for several moments.

"I don't…I don't believe it…" Tweek said. "What happened?"

Craig tried hard to hold in his emotions. He didn't want his tears to escape here. "Someone cut him…" the nightmarish image of Trent Boyett slicing Clyde played in Craig's mind. Craig suddenly felt nauseous, he gagged into his hand.

"Hey, are you OK?" Tweek asked.

"I need to go." Craig said, standing up. Craig tried walking fast for the door. Craig opened the door quickly, then froze when he heard Tweek calling him. Craig kept his back to Tweek as he spoke.

"Craig, if you ever want someone to talk to, I'm always here." Tweek offered.

Craig shut the door quietly behind him without another word.

**…**

'It was here.' Craig thought to himself. Craig was leaning against the hard metal flagpole where he had fought for Clyde all those years ago. Craig thought the two most important people to him were Clyde and Wendy. Clyde had lost his life, and left this world completely. Craig didn't know where Wendy was, but figured she stopped caring about him by now.

Craig's heart lurched as he pulled out his small bag. He was all by himself, out behind the school on this gray summer day. A light breeze passed through his hair as he prepared his heroin for injection.

'Clyde, do you remember the day in fourth grade when we created our own poems? I'll never forget yours…'

**…**

"Ok children, let's all hear your poetry." Ms. Chokesondick said to her fourth grade class. Today, all the children had to create their own poems. They could choose between several types of poems to write, then had to present theirs to the class. Craig didn't enjoy Ms. Chokesondick's class as much as Mr. Garrison. Not to mention, her name was a huge name. Most of the class was able to get away by calling her 'Ms. C.'

"Who would like to go first?" Ms. C. asked everyone. "I know who wants to…" Ms. C. walked over to her teacher's desk and pulled out a box with a small hole on top.

'Oh no.' Craig thought. Ms. C. used this box to pick out a random student's name when none of the classroom wanted to participate. Craig and Clyde stared at each other. Their eyes both expressed fear. "Mine was so bad." Craig whispered.

"Pfft…mine was worse." Clyde replied.

"All right class, let's have…" the classroom was tense as Ms. C undid the folded piece of paper in her hands. "Kyle Broflovski, please come up and share your poem." The entire class locked eyes on the Jewish boy with his green hat. Kyle sighed and hopped out of his chair and walked to the front of the classroom. Kyle cleared his throat as he prepared to speak.

"My poem is a haiku I call 'Forever and Ever.'

"_I have always thought._

_One thing about friendship is..._

_It is always forever_."

The class broke into a light applause. Kyle sat down next to Stan. The two exchanged grins with each other.

'That was good.' Craig thought. 'Mine is…just horrible.'

"Alright who's next?" Ms. C. asked the class. There was a short silence, and then Clyde raised his hand. Craig looked at Clyde, surprised. 'He's really going?' he thought in disbelief.

"All right, Clyde, come on up." Clyde hopped out of his seat and walked to the front of the classroom.

"My poem is a haiku called 'Experiences.'" Clyde cleared his throat.

"_Learning from others._

_This is what strengthens our bonds._

_Like my best friend for life_."

Craig's eyebrows raised in surprise. 'Did he mean me?'

The classroom broke out into a mild applause as Clyde returned to his seat. "Very good, Clyde. OK, who's next children?" Ms. C asked. The classroom went silent again. "Alright, guess I have to use the box again…" Ms. C. said unenthusiastically.

"Clyde." Craig called to his friend. Clyde glanced back over at Craig with his innocent brown eyes.

"Was that…me?" Craig asked Clyde.

Clyde nodded. Craig glowed at his best friend's truth.

'He considers me his best friend…for life…'

**…**

Back in the present, Craig loaded the little white seed onto the spoon. His arm was already tight from the belt, he was almost ready to inject the heroin again.

'I never thought I would change this much…' Craig thought. 'Clyde…' Craig wondered. 'Do you remember…the time before you saved me, the last thing I said to you?'

**…**

Craig sat next to Clyde on his bed with his jaw dropped. "Clyde…" Craig said to his friend, whose tears were streaming down his face.

"She's gone." Clyde said. "My mother…she's dead…" Clyde choked on his words. He punched the bed angrily. "It's not fair! Everyone else gets to run home to their mom's every day, except now I can't!" Clyde whisked his head towards Craig. Some of Clyde's tears fell from his eyes as he twisted his head so fast.

Craig looked at his friend's face, which had a slight orange tint from the setting sun.

'I'm not going to lie.' Craig thought to himself. 'I wonder if loving someone and losing them is better than having someone and having them not love you back…' Craig thought about his father. 'I've tried to prove so much to him…and I feel he still doesn't love me. But Clyde's mom…I know she loved him.'

"Clyde…" Craig said. "I can't imagine what you're going through…I don't think I could ever relate to you in that way…but I know…" Clyde almost appeared surprised when Craig let a tear slip from his eye. "That no matter what, you need to surround yourself with people who care about you."

Clyde continued crying silently. "I'll never see her again…"

"Clyde…" Craig wiped his own tears away with the back of his hand. "I'm sure you had many good memories with her. But those memories are all held somewhere inside of you." Craig put his hand lightly against Clyde's chest. "No one lives forever, but their essence continues forever inside everyone's hearts. It's not the same, but it's a good thing, it shows you that you once loved somebody. If you can feel sadness for somebody, it means you truly cared about them. I'm sure your mother would be very proud of you for holding her memories inside of you. I'm sure she'd want you to continue your life, and hold your memories with her in your heart forever."

"Craig..." Clyde paused for a moment to let more tears stream down his face. He breathed in and out a few times.

"You know, Craig…the fact that you would cry for me…I don't think I could ever ask for a better friend." Clyde glanced over at Craig.

"You know Clyde, let's make one more promise to each other. This time, I'm going to create this promise."

Clyde sniffed. "What?"

"No matter what happens to us. Whether we move away, pass on, grow old, find new hobbies, meet new friends, argue, laugh, cry, or even get on each other's nerves…I want you to promise me that now and forever, we'll be each other's best friends, for life, no matter what."

Clyde chuckled through his tears. "I kind of made that promise already from my poem awhile back."

"Make it official." Craig said, holding out his pinky.

"We're best friends, no matter what, Clyde." Craig said.

Clyde wiped his tears away with his sleeve.

"We're best friends, no matter what, Craig." Clyde said.

The two locked pinkies, making an eternal promise.

**…**

Back in the present, Craig watched as the seed bubbled into a liquid in the metal spoon. Craig pulled out the syringe and poked it into the liquid. He slowly pulled out the stopper and filled the syringe with the dim liquid. Craig made sure his belt was tight then rolled up his sleeve, where a few other needle marks marked his arm.

'What would you think of me now, Clyde? Did you really die happy for me?'

Craig jabbed the needle into his arm. He slowly pushed the stopper down, and felt a chill run through his body.

'Would you tell me to stop if you knew I was taking heroin?'

Craig knew what Clyde would say. "Yes."

Craig fell back against the flagpole, and let his mind wander into artificial peace.

Somewhere during his heroin experience, Craig felt like he was dreaming, floating in darkness, like he was nothing.

'Clyde, I'm going to make one more poem to you...'

'All throughout my life…

Being unloved, beaten, and made to feel worthless.

Can I say, when I think about you…

Death in front of my eyes…

Experiencing hell…

For me…

Guess what I think about that now…

If I had been in a reverse situation…

I would have done the same for you.

Just promise me one thing if you can still hear me.

Keep our promise, forever.

Lost…that's what I am.

My life is something I want to end every day from the pain I feel.

No matter what, though, I know you would tell me…

Our promise is something that lasts forever.

Perhaps you helped me more than I realized while you were here.

Questions, I had so many for you…

Really, I wanted to know you better.

So let me make this final promise to you, here and now.

To you and I, now and forever.

Unless I am still alive in the near future.

Wherever you go, I want to be with you too.

You shared a heart with me.

Promise me that even though we're split apart, we'll be with each other again…someday.

'Thank you for everything…and goodbye for now.'


	41. EC: Encounter

_**Author's Note: **Hey everyone! Hope you are all enjoying your holiday season! I'm sitting by the Christmas tree finishing up the next chapter of the FanFiction(maybe for this whole year), I'm excited for this chapter as things are about to build up tremendously for this arc. I really appreciate everyone that has helped support me in some way (fav/follow/review), you guys are the blood of my publications. Without an audience, I would have never came this far._

_**Author Special Shout-Out to:**_

_All my dedicated, loyal followers! You all mean so much to me together! :)__  
_

**_HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ENJOY!_**

Chapter 41 – Encounter

**POV: **Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman stared up at the twinkling stars with Stan and Kenny as the train continued towards New York City. Eric was impressed with the skyscrapers in the distance. The city really was grand, he thought. Eric tapped his fingers along the cold metal bars of the train, anxious with anticipation.

'I wonder where you are right now Kyle…are you watching the stars, too?'

Eric's heart was full of regrets. He wished he could go back in time and tell Kyle the truth. He wanted to tell Kyle he had developed feelings for him, that he wished he had been a better friend, and all around a better person. For the most part, Kyle was a bigger influence on Eric's life than he had realized. Without Kyle, Eric wouldn't have been surprised if he would end up dead somewhere. Kyle was the one voice of reason to Eric. While Cartman was normally grumpy at Kyle's efforts, Kyle did normally pose a lot of good, rational points.

Eric's stomach grumbled. He put his hands over his rumbling belly, embarrassed. Stan and Kenny turned their heads towards Cartman, whose face was now red."Stan, when are we gonna eat, dude?" Cartman asked impatiently.

"As soon as we get off." Stan replied. "We'll go somewhere decent, I promise."

"You better." Cartman retorted.

Cartman had to admit, he was somewhat homesick already. He missed being spoiled by his mother. He missed her home-cooked meals and her delicious food. Eric still remembered the talk him and his mother had regarding his weight. Cartman decided that even if he was slightly bigger, he would eventually get around to losing weight. If he did lose weight, he at least wanted to do it so he didn't have to throw up all the time. Eric was a mother's child at heart, making him hate the idea of his mother crying.

'I do miss her…' Eric thought about his mother. Cartman remembered how she had a cold when he had left. She had even allowed Eric off with just a slap on the wrist for almost getting arrested. He couldn't believe how nice she had been to him. Eric honestly felt guilty for leaving South Park without one word to her. He wondered if she was worried right now. He hoped she wasn't panicking from his absence.

Cartman also wondered how Clyde was doing, too. Sure, he was part of the reason that Eric started making himself throw up in the first place, but Eric felt there had been some bond between them. Eric sighed.

'No, it wasn't his fault. Maybe a direction, but he didn't _make_ me throw up.'

Cartman would never forget how Clyde basically hinted he didn't want Cartman around him and the other girls at the beach. Cartman hadn't spoken to Clyde since then. He hadn't really paid much thought to Clyde since that day, either. He wondered if the two of them could ever rekindle a friendship again. To a degree, Cartman still valued Clyde as a friend, and wanted the two to make amends and become friends again. Eric wondered if Clyde would actually apologize, he seemed like a decent person.

'I'll talk to him when I get back…' Cartman decided. 'After all, I feel like we could have been good friends…'

Cartman imagined Clyde's smiling face, but little did he know, he'd never see that face again.

**…**

"Wow…" Cartman said in disbelief as he gazed around him at downtown New York. In the distance, past the several tall buildings, Cartman could see the Empire State building raised high in the sky. It was lit up with all sorts of decorative colors, it reminded Cartman of Christmas-time. Everything felt so foreign to Cartman. He was used to the small, uncrowded, quiet little mountain town of South Park. New York was busy, loud, and way too enormous for his liking.

"How much longer do we have to walk?" Immediately after Cartman's question, his stomach grumbled loudly. "I…need food…" Cartman expressed weakly as he rubbed his stomach.

"We'll find a place soon enough, fatass." Stan teased.

Eric frowned. Stan glanced back at Cartman, a bit surprised he didn't retaliate.

'It's a sign of weakness to show anger.' Cartman thought. 'Just hold it inside.'

Stan looked back ahead and continued walking. His backpack was bouncing lightly up and down with his stride. Eric saw Stan stuff his hands inside his coat pocket. "So…where do you guys want to eat?" Stan asked.

"Food." Eric said sarcastically.

"No way." Stan joked back.

"How about a low-end diner?" Kenny suggested. "You know, like the ones you see in the movies?"

"I don't care, I just want food!" Cartman butted in.

Stan sighed. "All right, let's see what's nearby…" The three boys scanned the street with their eyes. Just a block away, Eric spotted a flashing sign that read 'Diner.'

"Ooh, ooh!" Eric pointed excitedly. "Let's go there! Fresh food you guys!" Eric started walking faster. Kenny chuckled a bit at Cartman's excitement of food. Cartman couldn't help it though, he had to refuel himself with a nice meal.

**…**

Eric stared down at the dinner menu in silence, skimming over the multiple options with his eyes. The three boys sat in a booth together next to the window. Eric leaned back against the black and red cushion and pondered over the different options. 'Hmm…' he thought to himself. 'What sounds good…?'

The waitress returned to the table and set down some lemonade in front of Kenny and Stan, and a diet double dew in front of Cartman. "Ya three ready to order?" the waitress asked in her New York accent. Stan eyed Cartman. "Are you ready?" Stan asked. Eric grinned. He knew Stan and Kenny were aware that sometimes he would take a while to order. "Yeah, I think so." Eric answered. "I'll have a triple cheeseburger, a large order of fries, and a double chocolate milkshake." Eric's stomach rumbled again. "And can I get an appetizer of mozzarella sticks?"

"That seems like a lot, Cartman…" Kenny hinted. Stan nodded lightly to Kenny. "It's all right."

Stan and Kenny gave the waitress their orders. The waitress finished scribbling down the order on her notepad before walking away silently.

"Stan." Kenny started. "I think as a group, now that we're here. We need to talk about something."

Stan took a sip of his lemonade. "Yeah?" he asked.

"When are we leaving for Sweden?"

Stan took a second to ponder over Kenny's question. He set his glass down lightly on the table. "Soon."

"How soon?" Kenny persisted.

"It depends what happens." Stan said.

"Well Stan, it's just…can you afford to take all of us to Sweden? It's not cheap. Food, transportation...and while I really would do anything for Kyle, where are we going to sleep? What I'm trying to say is…can we really make it to Sweden OK? Cartman and I left with nothing, and I'm not sure what you bought."

Stan frowned at Kenny. "I know we can. Hold on just a minute." Stan pulled out his mobile phone and tapped away at the screen. Cartman was surprised Stan's phone still had energy left to run. Eric and Kenny waited with anticipation as Stan tapped his phone. Eric saw Stan give his phone a look of disappointment. "What?" Eric asked.

"We're going to take a ship to Sweden together…" Stan trailed off into deep thought for a moment. "It looks like the harbor is a two hour walk from here." Eric's jaw dropped. "Two…HOURS?!" he asked in disbelief. Kenny didn't look the happiest, either. "That's a long walk!" Eric complained.

"You can manage." Stan said. "It's not like it would kill you. You can burn off those calories from your meal." Stan half-joked.

The diner bell rang as another customer entered the restaurant. Cartman saw a boy with brown hair and a brown scarf walk up to the front counter and take a seat on one of the stools. His clothes looked more fancy, as if he was a rich kid in an inexpensive restaurant.

'Weird.' Cartman thought. Eric would certainly want to dine on the finest cuisine if he had a lot of money.

"The ship ride is going to be a few weeks, most likely." Stan continued. "Once we land in Stockholm, we're going straight to Kyle's house. I have his address in my pocket. We won't stay in New York for too long." Stan explained. "We'll likely leave by tomorrow sometime."

Eric's body burned with excitement. "How are we getting there? Luxury?!" Eric asked excitedly.

Stan glanced at Eric. "Nope. We'll most likely be going by cargo ship."

Eric glared at Stan angrily. "We have to travel on some crappy ship?!" Eric asked angrily.

"Hey." Kenny interjected. "This is for Kyle. And just imagine Cartman…Kyle probably has a nice house, and a lot of food…AND…the best part…" Kenny grinned slyly. "The drinking age is 16, so it wouldn't be hard to get a hold of a little booze."

Eric rubbed his chin slightly. "That DOES sound good…" he thought.

"Fine, but don't be offended if I spend most of my time in the cabin." Cartman said, crossing his arms. "And I get to choose what bed I want."

"That's fine." Stan said, taking another sip of his raspberry lemonade. "I know I've said this several times, but really…thank you guys for coming. It means a lot to me."

Even though the boys were moving towards their futures, Eric felt a strange premonition, as if something bad was going to happen somewhere along their journey. He wasn't sure what, but he felt a strange feeling, as if their journey would lead them somewhere he'd never imagine.

The waitress returned with three steaming plates of food and placed it in front of the boys. "Enjoy." She said uncaring, before walking away.

"Food!" Cartman cheered, clapping his hands excitedly. Cartman instantly gripped his burger and began chowing down. Eric thought it felt so good to taste food again. Eric was done with his food first, he waited impatiently for Kenny and Stan to finish. Kenny and Stan rambled on about jokes as they ate their food. Cartman tapped his fingers lightly on the table. The waitress returned and placed the bill on the table. Stan reached into his pocket.

"Go pay this while we eat." Stan ordered, placing thirty dollars on top of the bill. Eric rolled his eyes and squeezed out of the booth. He stood up, feeling more bloated than ever. 'So good…' Eric thought. Eric walked up to the counter and leaned across the surface, waiting to be helped. Next to him, the boy in the brown scarf was drinking his coffee in silence and staring at the wall. The waitress who had served Cartman and the other's stepped in front of the cash register.

"How was it?" the waitress asked. "Sweeet." Cartman said in the same accent he used as a kid.

Cartman saw the boy in the brown scarf quickly turn his head towards him. Cartman made eye contact with the boy. 'What's he looking at?' Cartman wondered bitterly as he left the counter and returned to the booth where Stan and Kenny were sitting. Cartman glanced back over at the boy with the scarf and saw his hazel eyes were locked onto him. For a brief second, the boy held his gaze with Cartman. Then the boy's head quickly twisted towards Stan.

'What?' Eric wondered. Eric saw the boy hop off the stool and slowly step over to the booth. Eric stiffened, something about the boy was making him uneasy.

"S-Stan…" the boy stopped in front of the booth. Stan glanced up at the boy, then his own eyes widened in horror. Stan immediately stood up out of the booth and locked eyes with the boy. "It's…" Stan seemed to study the boy for a moment. "Is it really you?" Stan asked. The two boys stared at each other in total disbelief.

Eric noticed the boy with the brown hair seemed as if he was going to cry any second. Eric saw the boy clutch his fists. "Yeah…it's me." The boy said stiffly.

"Woah, wait, who is this guy?" Eric asked, confused.

There was a brief pause. "You should know him Cartman." Stan said. The boy glanced over at Cartman. "Eric Cartman." The boy said amusingly. Something about the boy's face _did_ look familiar, Cartman wouldn't deny. 'Who is he though?'

"Cartman…don't you remember the Jeffersons?"

Cartman's eyes widened. "It can't be…" Cartman stood up quickly. "Blanket?! Blanket Jefferson?!" Cartman asked in disbelief.

Blanket gave a cute nod. "It's me." Blanket gave a weak smile, showing a perfect line of white teeth. "You know guys, it's been so long…I'm staying at a hotel just a block away, would you like to come with me? We have deluxe everything! I'm not sure what you're all up to but you should totally come back to my penthouse!"

'Penthouse?!' Cartman wondered, interested.

Stan grinned. "Would you guys be up for a stop?" he asked. Eric locked eyes with Stan, then with blanket. "Yeah...that's fine." Eric mostly agreed, more so because he wanted luxury than anything else right now.

"How far of a walk is it?" Stan asked.

Blanket shook his head. "Walking? No, we're taking the limo."

Eric dropped his jaw in disbelief. "A…limo?" he asked out loud.

Blanket pointed a finger outside the window towards the street. Sitting along the curb was a beautiful black limousine with shiny silver metal. "Are you sure?" Stan asked. Blanket nodded. "Yeah, I missed you guys. We need to catch up again! What better way to do that then to catch up in my penthouse!"

Eric felt that spending a night in luxury would be great before they all left for Sweden together. Blanket led the way out of the diner towards the limousine. Eric saw a man in a suit step out from the driver's side door and walk around quickly to the side of the limousine. "Master Jefferson and friends." The driver said formally, opening the limousine door.

"Come on in." Blanket waved his hand, inviting everyone.

Blanket slipped into the backseat, followed by Stan, then Kenny. Cartman bent his knee slightly to slip into the backseat. The driver closed the door for Cartman. Eric eyed the wide open space of the limousine. It was so spacious inside. Some lights were lit overhead, surrounding the limo in a dim orange glow. Cartman stretched his feet far in front of him, enjoying the feeling of stretching after a good meal. "This is so nice." Eric complimented.

"It is pretty cool." Blanket agreed. Blanket turned his gaze towards Stan. "It's good to see you again…"

Stan nodded. "Likewise, thank you for inviting us over tonight."

The limo ride itself was fairly short. Everyone arrived outside the hotel in less than a minute. Eric dropped his jaw when the building came into view. The hotel must have been at least forty floors, Eric had guessed.

"We're up in the penthouse." Blanket announced. The driver parked the limousine by the hotel entrance and stepped out of the limo. The driver walked over to the back door and quickly opened it.

"Master Jefferson and friends." The driver said politely, holding a hand out in the air, gesturing the boys to step out when ready. The four squeezed their way out of the limousine and onto the conrete. "I'll take you guys upstairs." Blanket instructed.

The boys walked into the lobby together. Cartman couldn't believe how fancy everything looked. There was a large fountain in the middle of the lobby, and several gift shops scattered around the floor. Cartman could also smell the sweet aroma of expensive food from nearby restaurants. He glanced inside a few restaurants on the way to the elevator. 'I'll have to stop at one of those sometime…'

Moments later the boys stopped by the elevators. Blanket pushed the button and the boys waited silently for a moment. "Eric." Blanket said nicely. "So how is your mother doing?"

Eric scratched the back of his head. "Alright, I guess. She had a cold when we left but-" Eric suddenly noticed a look of panic from Stan. Eric bit his lip. 'He doesn't want blanket to know we're looking for Kyle, does he?' Eric shrugged at Blanket. "She's fine. We just decided to take a fun trip out here to see all the sights."

"It gets old after a few days." Blanket said sadly. The elevator door chimed and the boys stepped in. "Are you all ready for this?" Blanket asked excitedly.

"Heck yes!" Kenny said enthusiastically. Kenny pressed the button to the penthouse himself. The elevator door closed the boys waited excitedly as the floor numbers continued increasing. Everyone watched with anticipation as the digital red letters became closer to the penthouse floor. The penthouse was on the very top floor, just above floor fifty three. Cartman was close at his guess from earlier.

Finally the elevator came to a stop. There was a short pause of anticipation as Blanket typed in a few numbers on the keypad. Finally, the keypad gave a chime of approval and the elevator doors opened. Stan, Kyle, and Eric all gasped at the exact same time.

"I-It's huge!" Stan said in amazement, stepping out of the elevator. Blanket's penthouse was incredibly expensive the left, there was a winding glass staircase that led up to the second floor, where there were more sets of rooms along a walkway above. On the ground floor, there was a very spacious lounge area with designer furniture and a flat screen T.V. mounted just above a brick fireplace. The kitchen was enormous, but this wasn't the best part for Cartman. Eric was eyeing the balcony outside. On top of some finely polished wood sat a bubbling Jacuzzi. Eric pictured himself relaxing and overlooking the city. There was also a big pool with color changing lights, painting the pool different tints of color.

"Dude…no way…" Eric said in disbelief.

"Make yourselves at home." Blanket offered. Eric saw Blanket eye Stan for a moment. "Stan, can I talk to you for a minute?"

There was a look of tension in Stan's eyes as he paused. Stan finally nodded his head. "S-Sure…" he said nervously.

"We'll be right back, come on, Stan." Blanket glanced at Eric and Kenny with a smiled then walked off towards the staircase. Stan glanced behind him and nodded at Eric.

As soon as Stan and Blanket disappeared into a room upstairs, Eric let out a cheer of excitement. "Kenny! This is SO awesome! Wanna hit the pool?!" Kenny crossed his arms. "With what? Our currently ONLY set of clothes?" Kenny sniffed his parka sleeve. "We really should have brought some extra clothes for us."

"Do you think blanket has some spare bathing suits?" Eric asked. "I'm sure he would, he probably has his friends over all the time."

Kenny glanced at Cartman with his blue eyes. "Eric?"

Eric raised his eyebrows. "What dude?"

Kenny kept his gaze on Cartman for a moment. "I don't know why, but I'm getting a strange feeling about something..."

**…**

**Elsewhere…**

'So this is where the three of them are…' a blond-haired boy thought to himself as he leaned forward against the ledge of the Empire State Building. The moon was high in the sky, shining dimly upon the lit up city of New York. Several sky scrapers were lit up, and the traffic was still as heavy as ever.

The boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a switchblade knife. He flipped it in the air a few times before catching it firmly in his hands.

"It's not over yet." Trent Boyett said with a grin.


	42. SM: He's Mine

_**Author's Note:** Once again, here's another chapter! I really appreciate everyone being so patient and supportive. Since I was on break I was able to publish more chapters, sadly though, I'll be headed back to university on New Years Day so I'm afraid some new chapters might come a bit slower than recently. I hope you all enjoy the next installment and I look forward to working through book 2 in 2015! Thanks for your dedication and may you all have a great New Year!_

_-Noel_

Chapter 42 – He's Mine

**POV: **Stan Marsh

Stan followed Blanket into his enormous lounge room upstairs. Dim yellow lights shined from the ceiling in the center of the room, encapsulating the lounge in a relaxing glow. At the far end of the room was a fine, wooden bar counter set up close to the wall. Several alcohol bottles were lined up against the shelf behind it in a symmetrical pattern. Stan eyed the tall brown bar stools when Blanket gestured a hand towards the bar.

"Would you like a drink?" Blanket inquired politely.

"Uhm…" Stan hesitated. He was unsure whether or not Blanket was testing him in some way. He hadn't seen Blanket in so long, he wasn't sure how much he had changed.

"I'm going to have some wine, if you'd like..." Blanket slightly curled his smooth lips. Stan felt more relaxed at Blanket's smile.

Stan nodded. "Sure…I'll have some, too…" Stan nervously made his way over to the bar counter and slid onto one of the bar stools. He hadn't seen Blanket in several years, it was so strange to re-unite with him so quickly, then minutes later suddenly be drinking with him.

"So how have things in South Park been?" Blanket asked as he slid behind the counter. Stan put his elbows against the counter and gazed down at the slight glare on the wood, caused by the dim lighting.

"Not bad I suppose." Stan answered.

Stan heard some light clinking sounds as Blanket squatted behind the counter and pulled out two wine glasses. "I noticed Kyle isn't with you, where's he?" Blanket asked nonchalantly.

Stan formed a hard line with his lips. "Kyle…he moved away." Stan figured he wouldn't lie about this much. He didn't want Blanket to know they were leaving for Sweden, due to the fact that if word got to everyone else back home, they may find Stan and his friends. That was the last thing Stan wanted, he wanted to find Kyle, at almost any cost.

Blanket stood back up and placed the glasses on the counter."Where did he move to?" Blanket turned around and carefully examined the wine on the shelves.

"Sweden." Stan confessed. "His dad found a job there."

"Do you still talk to him?" Blanket asked as he turned around with a bottle of red wine. He popped the cork from the bottle. Stan could very lightly smell the aroma of the luscious wine. Blanket poured himself a glass, then one for Stan. Blanket set the bottle back on the table.

Stan sighed after Blanket was finished. "I haven't spoken to him awhile…I'm sure he's just busy." Stan said flatly.

Blanket walked back around the counter with his wine glass in hand. Stan noticed the way Blanket was holding his wine glass. His fingers held the glass delicately around the stem of the glass and he lightly swished the wine around once he took a seat on the stool next to Stan. Stan tried to mimic him as he picked up his wine glass.

"How were you able to have your own bar? You aren't old enough to drink yet." Stan asked curiously.

"This was my dad's..." Blanket responded. "We moved here after getting out of South Park..." Blanket paused for a moment, as if he was reflecting on something. He suddenly flicked his eyes to Stan. "So what are you doing here in New York?" Blanket asked, lifting his glass to his lips.

"Well…" Stan took a moment of thought. He wanted to word his excuse carefully. "We were just visiting. We figured we'd get some tourism in during the summer before school starts again."

Blanket smirked in obvious disbelief. "Is that so?"

Stan nodded nervously. "Y-Yeah."

Blanket eyed Stan up and down, amused. "You travel from Colorado with nothing but one backpack that Cartman is carrying? You sure are light travelers…" Blanket squinted his eyes suspiciously.

Stan ignored Blanket's comment and remained quiet for a moment. Stan smiled as he lifted his own glass of wine to his own lips. He gently sipped on the sweet red liquid. It tasted bitter, yet sweet as it entered his mouth. He savored the flavor of the sweet beverage. Drinking with Blanket reminded him of the night Kyle left South Park, when the gang had all been drinking together. Stan truly missed those days when they were closer. Though in his heart, Stan believed they would all re-unite again, Kyle included.

"So what did you want to talk about?" Stan finally asked, setting his wine glass back on the counter and gazed at Blanket. "Or did you just want to chill?" Stan asked non-aggressively. Stan was almost shocked when he saw Blanket lift the wine glass to his lips and quickly gulp it all down without a word. Blanket sighed when he lowered his empty glass back towards the counter.

"I need another drink." He said, as if he hadn't heard Stan's question.

There was an awkward pause as Blanket went to fill up his glass again. Blanket turned his innocent brown eyes back towards Stan. "There's something I was never able to tell you…I uhm…" Blanket flicked his eyes towards the ground, embarrassed. He flicked his eyes towards his wine glass and nervously raised his glass.

"What did you want to tell me?" Stan prompted, taking a sip of his own wine.

Blanket sighed. "Truthfully, I didn't like how we broke apart."

Memories flooded Stan's mind. He could still picture the young Blanket from all those years ago. "Honestly…" Stan started sadly. "…I can't even remember what our last time together was like…"

Blanket frowned. "I didn't know if you would…"

Stan saw Blanket lift his glass yet again and gulp all the wine down. Stan wasn't even half-way done with his glass when Blanket poured his third. "You know why I left, don't you?" Blanket asked.

Stan shrugged. "I had heard your father died, and the next thing I knew, you left soon after that…" Stan somberly remembered hearing about Mr. Jefferson's death. The local police department was racist and had mistaken Mr. Jefferson as a black man. Stan shuddered at the thought of Blanket mourning over his father.

Blanket took a moment to reflect on the sad times. "I had to leave…because…" Blanket lowered his head for a moment. The brown haired boy put his fingers towards the bridge of his nose, then inhaled sharply. Once again Blanket lifted his wine glass to his lips and drank the entire thing in a matter of seconds.

"Are you OK?." Stan asked, concerned.

Blanket shook his head and sighed. "Yeah...I'm fine…" Blanket swallowed.

Stan was surprised to see how Blanket was acting tonight. This wasn't the exact same kid he had known all those years ago. The Blanket Stan had known long ago would never be drinking so heavily as this. Stan almost felt guilty, he wondered if his absence was something that led Blanket towards this state. Maybe if Stan had been there for Blanket, he could have prevented some of his pain.

"Stan. There's something I want to ask you…but…" Blanket paused.

"If you don't want to ask, I won't feel bad.." Stan insisted.

"OK…" Blanket took a breath. "I know this is sudden but…when my dad died…he uhm…he left me a lot of expensive things."

"Like this penthouse." Stan stated.

Blanket nodded. "Yes…but he also left something…REALLY big..."

Stan raised his eyebrows. "Like what?" Stan was curious now.

Blanket looked into Stan's eyes. "I have something BIG to ask you, maybe as a sort of favor. Now...listen to this...On the eastern shores of New York, where the harbor is... My dad left me an ENORMOUS cruise ship. In fact…" Blanket scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "It's almost the size of the Titanic."

Stan's ears pricked and his jaw dropped. "He…he has a ship?!" Stan thought in disbelief.

Blanket chuckled, amused. "Dad bought it hoping he could have all sorts of parties on it. He told me one day...he wanted me to take a vacation with it, and have all of my friends with me. I've never used it…but I was wondering if you'd like to…I don't know, use it maybe?" Blanket asked with a grin.

'I need to think carefully about how I word this…' Stan thought. While Stan's original plan had been to take a ship to Sweden, he hadn't reserved anything. Nothing was set in stone. Now Blanket was offering a ride on an enormous cruise ship. Stan wondered if there would be the possibility Blanket could ship them all to Sweden…

"Where would we go?" was the next thing Stan asked.

Blanket shrugged. "Anywhere, really. Depends how much time you have out here."

Stan finished off his first glass of wine. Blanket didn't ask if Stan wanted another, just grabbed the bottle and poured another glass for Stan. "Drink."

Stan hesitantly grabbed the glass and took another sip of his wine.

"Is there anywhere special you'd want to go?" Blanket asked.

"Well…" Stan avoided Blanket's hazel eyes for a moment. "Could we…go to Europe?"

"Where in Europe?" Blanket pressed further.

"I don't know…Italy maybe…or uhm…maybe...Sweden?"

Stan didn't look up at Blanket after asking the important question. Stan wondered if Blanket knew what he was getting at.

"So you can go and see Kyle?..." Blanket stated Stan's exact intention. Stan thought he might have heard a tone of anger in his voice, though he didn't know why.

Stan stiffened his lips. Since Blanket was potentially offering, he figured he should know the truth now.. "I'll tell you the truth. Kyle left over two years ago and I haven't heard one word from him since. I don't know if he's dead or alive, what he's doing, what he looks like now…I just…I want to see him again. I'm sure he'd be glad to see you, too." Stan felt a bit ungrateful to ask Blanket for such a favor. Blanket was being so kind, offering Stan and his friends a place to come to for awhile.

"I see…" Blanket poured himself yet another glass of wine. He twirled the red liquid around gently, it lightly lapped against the wine upper part of the glass. "You would go so far as to search for someone who you haven't heard from for two years…yet I disappeared, and you never seemed to come after me…" Blanket gave Stan a hard gaze.

Stan couldn't believe what Blanket had just said. "I…I…"

"You what?" Blanket pressed. "You were busy? You had other plans? You didn't know where I went?"

"Blanket…" Stan started sadly. Stan's blue eyes seemed to be filled with regret as he spoke his next words. "I admit, I didn't try too much. But I should have...I can see you valued our friendship…I won't try to deny it, it's a lot, with me asking for you to take us to Sweden…in fact, I even feel dirty asking it. If you don't want to take us there, Blanket, I won't blame you. We could even go somewhere else, if you're still interested…we'll go anywhere you'd like, if you want to do that. Otherwise, I need to make other arrangements to go. I just...need to find him..." Stan felt his heart beat strongly as he thought about how Blanket may not be his source of travel. He wanted to find Kyle, no matter what it meant, but he felt dirty asking for such a favor. Stan partly understood Blanket's disappointment at his suggestion.

"Why is it you're so strung up on finding Kyle?" Blanket asked bluntly. "Why is it you searched for him but not me?"

Stan frowned. "I don't know how I feel now." Stan admitted. "But I know I want to find Kyle so that I get some answers from him. At the very least, I want to make sure he's OK." Stan answered, avoiding Blanket's question.

"I suppose that's understandable." Blanket replied monotonously.

There was a brief, tense silence between the two.

"Where do we stand, Stan?" Blanket asked, setting his glass down.

"With what?" Stan asked.

"You know…us?" Blanket continued. "What am I to you?"

"I'm your friend." Stan replied. "I always have been."

Blanket grinned. "I'm glad you still think of me as your friend...You know...I missed you Stan...a lot..." Blanket's eyes seemed to flash with some sadness. Stan almost felt sympathetic for Blanket. He didn't seem to be happy, Stan would have though he would have been as cheerful as he was when they spent time together during their earlier days.

"If you want to find Kyle…" Blanket closed his eyes, pondering for a moment. "I'll take you to Sweden."

Stan's eyes and body immediately shot with energy. "Y-You will?!" Stan asked, almost in disbelief.

Blanket grinned. "But." Blanket held up a finger to Stan. "I have a condition."

Stan sat back in his seat. Blanket glanced back at Stan with watery eyes. "Anything to help you!"

Blanket ran his fingers through his light brown hair. "Well you see…I haven't seen you in so long…I would love to spend some time with my good friend. I want you to come with me…"

Stan tilted his head. "I thought that was a given."

"But." Blanket interjected. "Just you."

Stan widened his eyes. "Y-You don't mean…Kenny and Eric…" Stan registered Blanket's request. "Why?"

"If you're my friend, prove it. Show you just want to spend time with me." Blanket pressed.

Stan hopped off the stool. "Blanket, they want to see Kyle again as much as I do."

"You think so?" Blanket asked. "Did you ask them to come, or did they volunteer?"

Stan frowned. "That doesn't matter, they came with me. That's all that counts. I can't just send them back home! They don't have any money, either…"

"I see…You guys were risky coming all the way here." Blanket mused.

Stan grinned. "Well, there's always that time in someone's life when they get in trouble for the sake of another person."

"I guess I only have one more question, Stan." Blanket started. The boy in the scarf stood up and approached Stan. "Let me ask you this…how do you know Kyle still cares about you? Or that he thinks about you? Or that he oh so dearly misses you?"

Stan felt a dull ache in his heart. He knew even though Blanket's questions were harsh, he did pose a point. Kyle had left over two years ago without a word to his best friend. Stan wouldn't lie, he had asked himself before why Kyle would do that, and if Stan was still considered his friend, or even if Kyle thought about him. Something about his absence left a bitter taste in Stan's mouth. He felt something was wrong, and he wanted to hold Kyle again.

"And Happy New Year to you, Stan..." those were Kyle's last words to Stan before he left. Stan clenched his fist.

Stan glared at Blanket. "Because he's mine."

Blanket almost appeared taken aback from Stan's response. Blanket seemed to understand where Stan was coming from. "You guys were friends for a long time…I'm just trying to say, do you know he still feels the same way? Is it worth it to go all the way to Sweden? Maybe we could go somewhere else you've always wanted to go. Maybe-"

Stan huffed. "I want to find Kyle."

In the back of Stan's mind, he truly wondered what Kyle thought of him now. The way Blanket had asked him about Kyle seemed harsh, yet blunt. Inside of him, Stan felt as if something strange was happening inside his chest, as if his heart was changing somehow. For better or for worse, only time would tell.

"I'll make arrangements." Blanket stated flatly. "We'll leave tomorrow..." Blanket began walking away from Stan. "Feel free to use the guest bedroom, it's right next door." Blanket dissapeared behind the entryway and left Stan alone in the lounge.

Stan sighed and gazed into his wine glass, nearly empty.

'He's changed...' Stan thought. 'He seems like he's so bitter because I'm going after Kyle...I can understand his feelings though...' Stan thought sadly.

'In fact...the day we met...I told him I-'

"Stan!" Kenny cheered excitedly from the doorway. The blonde was wearing a sleeveless shirt and swim trunks. "Blanket's butler guy offered us some swimsuits to go swimming!" Kenny's blue eyes glinted with excitement.

Stan felt his meeting with Blanket was bittersweet. He sighed and stood up. Stan walked over to Kenny.

'How is he always so cheerful?...It's nice though...I'm glad Kenny is here with me...' Stan thought. Stan grinned. "We're leaving tomorrow, Kenny."

Kenny tilted his head. "We are?"

Stan nodded and smiled brightly. "Blanket will be taking us to Sweden on his father's cruise ship."

Kenny's jaw dropped. "C-Cruise ship?" Kenny's eyes seemed to flash with excitement. Kenny seemed in a daze for a moment, as if he was imagining everything the ship had to offer. "Just imagine, a pool, sun-deck, fine dining...aaaah!" Kenny waved his hands excitedly then put them on Stan's shoulders.

The two boy's faces turned bright red as they stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Uh-uhm...Sorry!" Kenny apologized, embarrassed. The two avoided eye contact with one another for a moment.

"That swimming pool looks nice." Stan stated.

"Yeah..." Kenny replied awkwardly. "The lights have a colored tint, they change the color of the water."

Stan lowered his head for a moment.

'It's just like that time...'

The image of Stan and Kyle kissing in the dark, in the pool water as the snow fell outside the school gym filled his mind.

"Stan?" Kenny asked.

"It's nothing." Stan replied, raising his head. "Come on Kenny, let's go for a swim! Is Cartman joining us?"

Kenny shook his head. "Nah, he already claimed one of the guest bedrooms. Dinner and bed sounded too great for him."

Stan chuckled. "Seems about right...I'll get ready, Kenny, I'll meet you down by the pool in a few."

Kenny nodded, his blonde hair dropped over his blue eye. He flicked his head, sending the strand of hair away so he could see again. Kenny smiled.

"I'll see you soon, Stan."

**Elsewhere...**

Blanket slowly shut the door to his enormous master bedroom. He twisted the lock and turned around. He let his back fall back against the door, and slid down it, eventually sitting on the floor.

"I couldn't tell him I loved him..." Blanket looked at the floor. He didn't know if he would ever be able to reveal the truth. Blanket pictured Kyle in his mind. The young, red-headed Jewish boy seemed to be all Stan cared about. Blanket slammed a fist against the floor.

'Why can't I be the one?'

Tears ran down Blanket's face as the rich boy once again felt completely alone.


	43. KM: The Winds of the Second Storm

**_Author's Note:_**_ Hey everyone! Chapter 43 is finally here! I'm sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I really wanted to get it out sooner but university has been relentlessly slamming me with homework. I've been slowly working on this chapter between my breaks and social life to bring it all to you as quickly as I could. Sorry again about the long wait! I hope you all enjoy this chapter, you deserve to for your patience. Please consider leaving a review, I'd love that!_

_-Noel_

Chapter 43 – The Winds of the Second Storm

**POV: **Kenny McCormick

Kenny McCormick held his breath underneath the warm pool water. He forced himself to open his eyelids, feeling the light sting of the water against his eyes. Even though his eyes were burning slightly, Kenny was in a beautiful place. He was underneath the smooth water, which was changing colors rapidly. There were all sorts of colors. Kenny identified them individually as they changed. "Red…blue…green…purple…" It was truly a beautiful sight for Kenny. He wished this could be his own imaginary world where he could remain forever. However, he wished Stan was here with him.

Kenny felt his breath slowly dwindle away under the pressure of the water. He leaned upwards and pressed his feet against the concrete beneath him. Kenny began kicking towards the surface, growing slightly more nervous for air. His head burst through the surface moments, sending droplets of water slapping down into the water around him. Kenny's blond locks clung to his temple as his eyes were squeezed shut from the chlorine. He rubbed his eyes and continued kicking to stay afloat. Kenny blinked his blue eyes a few times, then looked around him at the lit up buildings of New York City.

'Where is Stan at?' Kenny wondered. Stan had told Kenny that he would join him for a swim tonight. It had nearly been ten minutes since then, but Kenny was growing slightly anxious. The anticipation of seeing Stan again made Kenny slightly nervous. Kenny sighed. 'When is he going to figure it out?' he wondered to himself. 'I keep waiting for him to pick up the hints. Part of me wants him to know, so that he can make up his mind by himself…but…what if Kyle is still the one he loves?' Kenny's heart ached lightly at the thought. He was in a position where he could potentially lose a friend, or even two depending on how the events played out in the near future.

'It's not fair.' Kenny thought. He leaned back against the water and allowed his body to float against the surface. Kenny gazed up at the starry sky with his blue eyes. 'What would you think, Kyle? Would you want me to follow through? Do you even still love Stan? I wish I knew. Hopefully I can find out these answers soon enough…I just hope you're OK…'

Kenny lightly skimmed the water with his hands, sending colorful looking sound-waves across the surface. 'We're really leaving tomorrow…I can't believe we've came this far…I certainly never expected to be travelling in luxury…I guess Stan was lucky. Blanket seems so nice to him…'

Kenny had remembered Blanket back when the boys were all in fourth grade together. All that Kenny remembered was there had been a short time where Blanket arrived in South Park, then not long afterword's, he had left town without much explanation. 'He seems nice. I can't even thank him enough for doing this for Stan.'

Suddenly, Kenny heard and enormous splash next to him. Water spouted up into the air and landed across Kenny's bare chest. Kenny jumped and leaned forward, kicking his feet to stay afloat. Kenny looked underneath him to see Stan slowly rising to the surface of the pool. Stan's head burst from the water and he gasped for air. He rubbed his eyes. "Wow…this water feels great!" Stan said enthusiastically.

"It is pretty nice." Kenny agreed with a grin. Stan was so amusing sometimes, Kenny found it pretty cute. "Cartman is missing out." Kenny stated.

"Yeah he is." Stan replied. "I can't wait to see what the cruise ship looks like though. It's going to be so awesome, dude."

Kenny smiled. "Yeah, I'm sure it'll be fun."

"You know, I'm glad it's just us tonight." Stan said. Kenny turned his head around, blushing slightly.

"Yeah, it is pretty nice…" Kenny thought, looking blankly into the changing water.

Kenny swam up to the edge of the pool and laid his elbows atop the concrete. He laid his head lightly against his hands and stared up at the skyscrapers, lit up all around him. Kenny heard the gushing of water and soon felt Stan by his side. Stan mimicked Kenny and also laid his hands on the concrete. Kenny glanced at Stan, the water trickled down his face and onto his shoulders, then into the water. Kenny realized he hadn't seen Stan soaked in so long. It provoked so many memories in him, like the time the boys all went to Pi Pi's splash town together. That definitely had been a strange experience. Kenny would never forget how much pee was in the water. He remembered it had grossed Kyle out. Kenny stifled a laugh. Kyle had been so grumpy, it was kind of cute when Kenny thought about it.

"Do you think there are stars out in Sweden tonight?" Stan asked. "They're probably a lot colder than here, I would imagine."

"I'm not sure." Kenny replied. "I've heard it can snow a lot too in Sweden... I know it's summer, but I've also heard Sweden can get pretty cold."

"I wonder what Stockholm is like, too…" Stan wondered. "I wonder what it feels like, to walk down the cobblestone streets, with the street lamps lit up at night…it almost sounds like a dream. It just sounds so…peaceful."

"We'll find out when we get there." Kenny pointed out. "For now, we should just be excited about the trip out there. It'll probably take a while, but I'm confident we'll find Kyle."

"Yeah…" Stan said flatly. Kenny raised an eyebrow. To him, Stan almost sounded a bit unsure. "Hey Kenny…I was wondering if maybe I could talk to you about something?"

Kenny's heart started pounding. 'Is this it?' Kenny wondered. 'Does he know I have feelings for him…or is it something else?'

Stan stared into the distance. "This has been on my mind for a while…and it's honestly been worrying me…"

"Oh?" Kenny asked shyly. "What is it?"

Stan's lips formed a hard line. "I know that Kyle hasn't even spoken to any of us since he left…" Kenny let out a small sigh of relief at Stan's words. He had a small feeling Stan was going to talk about the two of them. Kenny wasn't sure if he was ready for Stan to know just yet. Kenny snapped his mind back to the conversation.

"I'm not sure why Kyle wouldn't talk to us…but something I find even more weird…is why hasn't _any_ of his family tried calling us? My family was so close to the Broflovski's…why would all of them just cut off contact?"

Kenny shrugged slightly. "I'm not sure. Maybe they're just really busy?"

Stan shook his head. "I doubt they were busy every single second for almost two years. We actually never even heard whether or not they had arrived in Sweden. Even Ike didn't make a phone call. We know he's the youngest, but wouldn't that mean he has the least amount of work out of the entire family? It just surprises me we wouldn't hear one word from anyone. It's like Kyle's whole family vanished."

Kenny wondered to himself for a moment. He did have to agree what Stan was saying was true, and pretty mysterious. It _was_ odd that _everyone_ in Kyle's family would just cut off contact. "Do you think they moved somewhere else? Or maybe they've had to travel a lot?" Kenny guessed. "I mean, if you're travelling all the time, it's possible you couldn't be able to stay in one place for too long. Maybe something is making them move all around, making them unable to call?"

Stan shook his head. "I couldn't see all of them doing that. They supposedly had a permanent residence in Sweden, Kyle told me. If they travelled all the time, surely they wouldn't be on the move every day?"

Kenny sighed. "I don't know, man. We'll find out some answers soon though, I promise."

There was a brief pause as some unknown vibes were shared between Stan and Kyle. Stan looked up at the stars silently, as did Kenny. Kenny let out silent breaths as he felt Stan's presence next to him. 'Why can't I tell you?' Kenny wondered. Kenny truly wanted Stan to know the truth about his feelings, but felt like he shouldn't tell him just yet. Yet Kenny wondered that if perhaps Stan knew about his feelings, he could make up his own mind who he wants to be with. Kenny didn't think he would never tell Stan himself, though. He figured it would be better for Stan to make up his own mind. If Stan could truly love Kenny on his own, that would be all Kenny ever wanted.

Stan lightly splashed some water towards Kenny, sending a few droplets through the air. They pattered against Kenny's smooth skin, and slowly trickled down his arm. "Want to have a breath holding contest?" Stan asked excitedly. "Might as well use the pool."

Kenny nodded. "Sure dude. Want me to count down?" Kenny saw a brief glint of excitement in Stan's eyes. It made Kenny happy inside to see Stan becoming more playful again. Stan nodded. "Sure, go ahead."

Kenny inhaled slowly. "All right." The two prepared themselves mentally for their challenge. "Three…two….one…." Stan and Kenny both inhaled sharply. Kenny closed his eyes and held his nose, then dunked underneath the water. Kenny felt the sensation of the water all around him once again. He always thought that being underwater felt strange, as if he was in a whole other world. He swooshed his hand towards the surface, trying to push himself further down into the depths of the pool.

Kenny suddenly felt a light touch against his shoulders. Kenny's eyes flicked open to meet Stan's deep blue eyes in the water. Stan's face had never seemed more beautiful before. Kenny and Stan were all by themselves underneath the water, with colors changing around them by the second. Kenny saw an interesting look in Stan's eyes. It seemed like he was hoping for something, like maybe instead of Kenny, Kyle was here with him. Suddenly, Stan's eyes seemed to flicker, as if he had just came to a realization of something. Stan quickly pushed backwards from Kenny and pushed upwards, towards the surface. Kenny followed, worried about Stan. Kenny's head burst from the water. He gasped for air, then used his fists to rub his eyes. "Stan?" Kenny asked. Kenny didn't hear a response. "Stan?" Kenny asked again. He was still met with silence. Kenny suddenly heard the sound of water splashing, then heard the light pattering of footsteps along the pools edge.

Kenny finally cleared his eyes and blinked his blue eyes a few times. He twisted his body around to see Stan heading for a nearby table, where some large white towels were laid across the table-top. Stan picked up a towel and wrapped it around the upper part of his body.

"Stan?" Kenny called. Yet again, Stan didn't respond. Stan quickly walked towards one of the lounge chairs and took a seat against the soft cushion, his back towards Kenny.

Kenny observed Stan for a moment, then pressed his hands against the solid concrete and pushed himself up and out of the water. The water dripped down Kenny's body as his feet lightly slapped against the concrete. Kenny's blonde locks clung to his wet temple. He could feel a slight breeze pass through his bare skin, it made him shiver slightly as he approached Stan.

Kenny walked around to the front of Stan and sat down next to him, by his side. Stan's face was facing towards the ground, his wet black locks covered his eyes. Kenny watched as water droplets gathered at the tips of Stan's dark hair, then dripped silently onto the surface beneath him.

"Stan, what's wrong?" Kenny asked.

Stan shook his head and pulled a hand towards his face. Kenny saw Stan wipe towards his eyes. "Sorry, I just…I imagined something else…I almost thought…"

There was a brief silence that hung in the air. However, Kenny felt that he and Stan had similar wavelengths. Kenny knew it was most likely that Stan was so madly in love with Kyle that he probably imagined Kenny as him underwater. That brief glint in Stan's eyes underwater, was something Kenny realized as a silent gesture. It was truly tearing Stan's heart apart.

"Stan. I just want you to know, I'll always be here for you." Kenny offered. "I won't ever leave you if you want me."

"I know." Stan said. "Thank you Kenny, I mean it."

"You should probably sleep." Kenny suggested. "We're leaving tomorrow."

"Will you do me a favor?" Stan asked. He finally raised his head and looked at Kenny with watery eyes.

"Anything." Kenny offered. "Just tell me."

"Stay with me tonight." Stan requested. Kenny's heart began beating faster at Stan's request. Stan seemed very desperate at the moment, as if he wanted to be with someone he trusted. Kenny wanted to be the best friend he could possibly be to Stan, so he had no choice but to accept.

"Sure." Kenny replied.

"I don't want to go in." Stan said. "Just…let's stay out here for a while…" Stan said. Stan squeezed into the space behind Kenny and laid back on the spacious recliner. Stan wrapped the towel around his body more tightly. Kenny reached for the nearby table and grabbed a towel, then wrapped it around himself. Kenny hesitantly laid down next to Stan. He could feel Stan's warm body next to him. It made Kenny's heart beat faster just over the fact Stan was here with him.

The two boys stared up at the stars together, as if something made them wish time to move slower.

'Does he still love Kyle?' Kenny wondered.

**Elsewhere…**

Blanket Jefferson sat on his bed as his head rested against a somewhat moist pillow. His eyes were red and puffy from sobbing. Blanket's heart was aching for Stan's love, but it was something he felt Stan couldn't return. 'I don't understand…' Blanket thought to himself. 'I felt so close to him when we were younger. Was it me who changed, or was it him?'

Blanket stared silently through his closed window at the light colors of New York's monstrous buildings.

'Life just keeps moving forward, I guess…' Blanket thought depressingly. Blanket rolled over to face away from the window and stared silently at the wall. He could hear the clock in his room lightly ticking away. Time moved forward, yet Blanket's heart still ached. 'I haven't even told him how I feel…' Blanket thought somberly. 'I just wish that it was that easy…if I tell him, I'll get an answer…but if that answer is no…' Blanket's lips formed a straight line.

'I love him. He was so good to me…' Images flashed in Blanket's mind of him and Stan from a long time ago. He remembered Stan's cute face, his gentle touch, his soft looking lips and those deep blue eyes were traits that Blanket loved about Stan. But Blanket felt his connection with Stan was deeper than just looks alone. Blanket felt a connection to Stan for being so kind to him when few people were. Blanket didn't only love Stan, but he felt he owed him his love.

'I'd do anything for him.' Blanket thought to himself.

"Don't worry Blanket, we'll always be friends." Stan's promise rang through Blanket's ears.

Out of nowhere, Blanket felt a cold shiver run down his spine. He felt a stiff breeze run through the room, as if the window had been opened behind him. Blanket rolled over, only to be met with a hand around his mouth. Blanket tried to gasp and scream as a blonde boy glared down at him. The boy seemed strong, and his eyes seemed to be building with hatred. Blanket suddenly heard a light clicking and felt the sharpness of something press against his neck.

"Silence, or I'll cut your throat open."

Blanket realized he had no choice. He slowly tried to calm himself down. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, but he realized he was powerless against this person.

"I'm going to release my hand. If you speak without my permission, it will be the end of you. Do you understand?" the boy asked. Blanket nodded with watery eyes.

"Good." The boy released his grip from Blanket's mouth. Blanket quickly sat upward and gasped for air. He put his hand up against his neck, trying to breathe. Blanket watched as the blonde boy walked over to a nearby desk and picked up the chair casually with one hand and brought it over near Blanket's bed.

'I need to get out of here.' Blanket thought, darting his eyes around, but not moving from his bed.

"I remember you, Blanket Jefferson." Trent Boyett said with a grin. "You may speak, quietly."

"Who are you?" Blanket asked. "Why are you doing this? What do you want?"

"I want something you can help me get." Trent Boyett grinned. "Oh, where are my manners. My name is Trent, that's all you need to know for now. Tell me Blanket, you're friends with Stan Marsh, Kyle Broflovski, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman, right?"

Blanket paused for a moment. He wasn't sure whether or not to deny Trent's assumption. However, Blanket was honestly a bit curious in what Trent had to say. He certainly didn't want to be caught lying in front of Trent right now. Blanket reluctantly nodded.

"You see. There's something I've been trying to do, but sadly, a certain something is hindering me from getting close enough to those four. I need your help to do something. How would you like to assist me in killing them?"

Blanket's eyes widened, he felt as if an enormous weight was dropped on his body. 'Maybe I could accept and tell them later?' Blanket wondered.

"Thinking about telling them?" Trent asked, mimicking Blanket's thoughts. Blanket's heart continued racing.

"I…" Blanket hesitated.

"I'll tell you this much." Trent started. "I don't necessarily want to kill all four of the boys at once. I've already to kill three of them, and my power has weakened since then."

'Power?' Blanket wondered.

"At this point, one of the boys takes priority." Trent mused. "There's one out of the four who I want to kill more than anything."

"Who?" Blanket asked.

"Well…" Trent grinned. "Someone that has supposedly been missing for two years."

"Kyle?!" Blanket wondered out loud. "Wh-Why him?"

"Let's just say, he has something I want." Trent grinned. "I know those three boys are here right now. If I could, I'd simply stroll down and kill them now, but sadly, something is keeping me from doing so."

"What do you want?" Blanket asked. "Are you saying you want me to do something to help you kill Kyle?" Blanket asked in disbelief.

Trent shook his head. "No, not quite. I want you to help me find him first. Then, I'll cut him in front of Stan, let that little piece of dirt wallow in his misery before death. I'll kill him, making the other two grieve. And I'll save something special for McCormick and Cartman. You will help me achieve that. And if you don't…not only will I kill you…"

Trent got up and slowly walked over to Blanket. Blanket nearly bolted, but he knew Trent would catch up to him in an instant. Trent gripped Blanket's chin and leaned down towards Blanket's ear.

Trent whispered something in Blanket's ear. Blanket's eyes widened and he gasped. "You…you can't do that!" Blanket objected what Trent had just threatened him with.

"I have the resources to do so." Trent said with a serious expression. "Just remember, if you help me, you'll be safe, and only those you may not even consider friends will be lost. If you decide to object me, you'll die, as well as I'll fulfill what I promised you just now."

Blanket's heart felt like it was going to burst from his chest. He had never been in more fear at what Trent had whispered in his ear. He dare not speak of it, think of it, not even acknowledge it. Blanket pushed the thought to the back of his mind.

"I…I'll help you…" Blanket sighed.

"We'll be in touch." Trent said. Blanket watched as Trent lightly hopped up to the windowsill and jumped into the air.

'What?!' Blanket wondered. Blanket quickly got up and ran over to his window. He looked far down on the streets, only to be met with nothing. Trent had seemingly disappeared.

The second storm was slowly approaching. No one would have expected the dark events that would surround that day.


	44. WT: Somber News

_**Author's Note:** Hey, fellow readers! Thanks for staying loyal and being patient for me to update my story! I've been absolutely slammed with homework lately. But I'm learning some really cool things. And just as a fun announcement (of sorts), I'm taking an animation class next quarter, and I'm thinking about making a custom video (like a theme song) for this story. I already have an idea in mind, so it should be pretty epic. That will probably be awhile though, so please be patient!_

_Anywho, the story. So I'm really glad to see some people's interest has been captured since my last chapter. I'm very grateful for everyone's dedication. Every single thing I receive is definitely a good feeling for me. I really appreciate it, guys. :)))))_

_Also, this arc("To the Stars Arc") is going to end next chapter. Next chapter is going to be longer than this one for sure, so you can expect to be very excited with extra content. Also, I do have some good news. There's one more arc after this one before the story starts to get increasingly better. When I say better, I mean that what you've been reading up until now, if you've been rating this story as really good, then you can expect it to get EVEN better(by several times). Also, if you're interested, please check out the first chapter for a list of the current arcs/books. I'm going to update the list with the full arc list for book 2._

_Without further wait, please enjoy this next chapter! :)_

Chapter 44 – Somber News

**POV: **Wendy Testaburger

It seemed like the day was going to last forever for Wendy. Similar thoughts raced through her mind as she processed the news that had just been delivered to her what seemed like minutes ago.

'Clyde…why did it have to be you?' Wendy Testaburger clutched her plush purple blanket with a light grip. The plush blanket was wrapped around her body loosely. The fabric felt soft between her hands. The warmth of the blanket ever so slightly seemed to warm Wendy. Wendy felt cold, but not from the temperature in the room. Rather, her whole body seemed to ache slightly, accompanied by a feeling her body had been freezing for a long time. Wendy felt cold inside, so much had happened recently it was wearing on her.

Wendy allowed herself to fall on her side. She laid back across her bed, with her head resting on her soft, fuzzy pillow. She gazed out her bedroom window in silence with her blue eyes, watching the amber sun slowly set past all the neighborhood houses. Wendy's face was red, and her eyes felt sore from her sobbing earlier. She remembered how the news was delivered to her just a few hours ago.

**...**

Wendy was sitting at her computer desk browsing the internet when she heard knocking against her bedroom door. Wendy sighed lightly as she turned her head away from the screen. "Come in." she called softly. Her bedroom door slowly creaked open.

"Wendy, hun?" Wendy's mother took a step into the room and remained half hidden behind the door. "Are you busy?" she asked in a tone that suggested she wanted to talk. Wendy's mom seemed like she didn't have much of a facial expression at all. Wendy knew her mother only made this face for one of two reasons: Either Wendy was in trouble, or there was some bad news.

"No, I'm not doing much." Wendy replied. She had been trying to de-stress and get her mind off of things. Everything that had happened in the past few weeks had taken its toll on Wendy's mind. She was tired, and felt she needed to have something happen that was positive for once.

"So what's up?" Wendy asked.

Wendy's mom frowned slightly. Wendy felt the mood in the room change when she saw her mother slowly close her door behind her. Ms. Testaburger lightly padded over to Wendy's bed and sat down on top Wendy's blue comforter.

"Come sit with me." Ms. Testaburger invited her daughter, patting a space next to her. Wendy got up from her chair and nervously and strolled over to her mother. She could feel her legs become more like lead as she approached. Whatever the conversation was going to be, Wendy was never prepared for what she would hear.

Wendy took a seat next to her mother with nervous anticipation.

"Hun, I have some bad news." Her mother said with a sad tone.

Wendy sighed. She didn't figure at the time just how drastic the news would be, especially for her. After the past few days, she felt that some bad news was common and not that important, considering all the events that have been happening lately.

"Wendy, hun…as a mother…this is hard for me to say…" Wendy's mother seemed to choke briefly on her words. This was when Wendy knew that whatever the news was, it probably wasn't anything casual.

"Hun, do you know a boy at school? His name is Clyde. Clyde Donovan."

Clyde's name almost made Wendy want to allow her shock to show. However, she didn't want her mother or father to have any idea of her potential relationship with him. Wendy nodded her head reluctantly. "Yeah…" she said nervously. "Why?"

A few seconds passed when the possibilities raced through Wendy's head. 'Is Clyde in trouble? Is he sick? What happened to him?'

It was just moments later when Wendy's mom finally spoke the dreaded words Wendy would remember forever.

"Clyde was killed last night."

There was a long, tense pause as the room was filled with utter silence.

At first, Wendy thought it had all been a bad dream. She waited a few seconds, hoping she could wake up, hoping more than anything the bad news wasn't true. When a few more seconds passed by, Wendy had to accept the fact she saw her mother's sad eyes still gazing into hers, she knew it wasn't a dream.

It was a delayed reaction. Wendy sat on her bed in shock, in total disbelief.

'No…it can't be…' Wendy tried thinking to herself. She felt her body begin to shake slightly. "Mom, are you sure?" Wendy was fairly certain she had heard her mother correctly, but she had to make sure. She wanted to have a last glimmer of hope, that maybe she misheard her mother. Sadly, this wasn't the case.

"Clyde was murdered by someone..." Wendy's mom choked. "The police aren't sure what happened. I'm so sor-." Wendy's mom had to cover her mouth with her hand to avoid crying.

Wendy had never experienced such a shock before in her life. She had never carried the burden of liking somebody, only to have them taken away by another, selfish, evil person.

"No…it can't be…" Wendy said, slowly lowering her head. Wendy put a hand over her mouth, and the other over her shirt. She gripped the front of her shirt tightly, over her aching heart. "No…" Wendy shook her head and tears began streaming down her face. Ms. Testaburger wrapped an arm around Wendy and stroked her hair softly. "I'm so sorry, hun." Wendy had cried into her mother for what seemed like forever.

**...**

Back in the present, Wendy continued watching the sunset. The sun had moved merely inches since she was lost in her thought about the earlier day. It hadn't been an easy day for her.

'I never truly felt in love with Clyde…but I began to start liking him…' Wendy thought to herself. She felt a mix of both bitterness and sadness. 'Who would take away someone like Clyde? He was so sweet. He never hurt anyone, and he was so good to me…'

Wendy turned her head and buried her face into her pillow. She began crying into it again, unable to help herself.

'It doesn't matter who I like, it never works out.' Wendy thought to herself. 'I left Stan…I left Craig…and now Clyde has taken away from me. Am I destined to not be with anyone? Does my happiness not matter to anyone else? Stan hates me…Clyde will never know how I feel…and Craig…'

At the thought of his name, Wendy froze. She slowly rose her head from the damp pillow and stared out at the setting sun.

'Even if I can't tell you everything. I still love you. I always will.' Craig's words to Wendy rung through her ears.

'How could Craig say that, after I left him?' Wendy trailed off into thought. Craig hadn't been on her mind much lately, she never allowed herself to think about him much. Wendy hadn't truly talked to Craig since their breakup.

'School starts in just over a month…and I haven't spoken to Craig since I broke up with him. What will it be like when we start school again?' Wendy wondered to herself.

Wendy pictured Craig, beat up and bloody in front of her that dark night. 'Would I have felt the same way, if it had been Craig instead of Clyde? What would Clyde think if he could see me now?'

Wendy sat up in her bed and pressed a few fingers against her temple. 'What if I'm causing Craig to get into more trouble? What if me not being there for him is making him get into these dangerous situations? I haven't even spoken to him. What if he's not really getting himself into trouble…what if…?' Wendy's eyes widened as she felt movement behind her.

Wendy flicked her body around, and stared blankly at her wall. For a moment, it felt as if someone was in the same room with her. A slight breeze passed through the room, ever so slightly moving the tips of Wendy's hair and the curtains of her window. It was an ominous feeling that overtook Wendy, as if bad things were going to happen.

Wendy turned her head back towards the window. She got up and walked over to her computer desk, where her cell phone was lying motionless. Wendy picked up the phone and turned on the screen. Wendy tapped away at her screen and navigated through her contacts list. She hovered a finger over the name she wanted: Craig Tucker.

'Wait, what am I doing?' Wendy stared blankly at her phone screen. 'Why do I want to call Craig?'

Wendy stared blankly at her phone for a moment. 'Craig…' Wendy's mind flashed back to a beat up Craig, standing up for Wendy.

'He saved me…' Wendy thought. 'I've never truly thanked him for it…' Wendy closed her eyes half-way for a moment.

'Does Craig hate me?' Wendy wondered. 'Well…I mean…he did save me, but how can he still like me after…' Wendy felt a lump rise in her throat. 'Why is he so fixated on me?'

Wendy sighed and put her cell phone in her pocket. 'What even happened to him?' Wendy didn't remember much about that night. It seemed as if she had just ran away from the scene. The next thing Wendy knew, she awoke in her bed, unknowing of how she even got there the night before. Her memory of that night was quite fuzzy, she didn't remember the fine details of what happened. She only remembered being attacked, then Craig coming to save her.

Wendy suddenly felt a feeling of dread overcome her.

'Oh no…I really hope he's OK…Craig...you put yourself in danger because of me...' Wendy's eyes widened and her body burst with energy.

'I need to find him.' Wendy promised herself. She quickly tapped the number to call Craig's phone. The phone instantly went to voicemail.

"The number you are trying to reach cannot be found-please-" Wendy quickly hung up the phone and shoved it in her pocket.

'Damn it!' Wendy thought angrily.

Wendy dashed across her room and quickly put on her sneakers. 'Please be OK, Craig…' Wendy grabbed her purple sweater off the end of her bed and slipped it down her arms. She adjusted her clothes slightly, then grabbed her house keys and took a deep breath before opening her door.

Wendy slowly descended the stairs. She didn't want to make a scene in front of her parents. 'I should let mom know I'm going out…' Wendy thought. Wendy heard her parents talking in low voices from the living room. Wendy was about to go through the entryway when she overheard her parents speaking in the living room.

"I just can't believe that poor boy was murdered…" Wendy's father said solemnly. "He never did anything wrong, or got wrapped up in any trouble…" Wendy's father sighed. "Honestly, I was worried when I heard Wendy was hanging around that Tucker boy so much…I just don't know about his family…what if that Craig kid was hanging around the wrong crowd, and something happened to Wendy."

Wendy gritted her teeth. 'I know dad's just trying to protect me...but why does everyone have this stereotype about Craig?'

"On top of that." Wendy's father continued. "I'll never forget what happened between Craig and his father that one time..."

Wendy's eyes widened. 'What is dad talking about?'

"Oh, yes." Wendy's mother replied. "I remember Ms. Tucker told me about it a few times."

Wendy felt a shock run through her body. 'Mom knew Ms. Tucker? And what's dad talking about?'

"I just don't want anything to do with that family, not even that trouble-making child of theirs." Wendy's father ranted.

Wendy felt anger course through her body. She almost thought about instantly lashing out against her father, but she knew that would only cause trouble for her. Wendy slipped into the doorway, acting as if she hadn't heard a thing. Her parents almost seemed shocked at seeing her, as if they assumed she had been listening. Before her parents could respond, Wendy beat them to it.

"Hey mom…dad…" Wendy glanced at each of them briefly. "I'm going to take a walk for a bit…and clear my head."

"Are you sure hun?" Wendy's mother asked, concerned.

"I'll be fine." Wendy replied. "I'll be back in a few hours."

Wendy's mother looked reluctant, but she nodded her head. "Alright, have fun, dear. Let me know if you need anything."

"I will." Wendy said, giving her parents a weak smile. Wendy nodded to her parents before heading for the front door. Wendy pulled the wooden door open and stepped out into the chilly, late afternoon weather. The sun was descending in the distance. 'Craig…' Wendy started jogging through the cold wind. Her worry for him was making her fear for him, to.

'Everything you've done for me…' Wendy thought as she started moving faster. 'You've done because you've cared about me…Craig…I can't let you keep doing things like this for me…'

Wendy held her head down as she erupted into a light run.

'When I find you, we need to talk.'


	45. SM: Departure

_**Author's Note: **Well everyone, it's an exciting moment in this chapter (if you couldn't tell from the title :P). This arc is ending with this chapter and a new one will start with the next chapter. Sorry it's taking me so long to publish these, I've been incredibly busy with university homework but I'm learning some really cool things. I hope you all can bear with me and be excited for the future chapters. Thanks to all of you who have remained loyal and supportive up until now. You are my blood to keep writing, I couldn't do it without all the dedication and support from my fans!_

**Author Special Shout out To:**

_Everyone who has been a loyal and supportive fan of mine! I love you guys! :)_

Chapter 45 – Departure

**POV:** Stan Marsh

"Stan?" Stan heard a light voice and felt a gentle hand shake his shoulder. His eyes flicked open, taking a moment to digest the dim light in his temporary bedroom. Stan had to take a moment to register the situation, he was never much of a morning person. He blinked a few times and stretched his arms and legs across his soft queen sized bed. Blanket had been gracious enough to give the boys' their own rooms for the night.

"It's time to leave." Stan looked over to see Kenny's blue eyes looking don at him. Stan slowly sat up, his covers sliding down his shirt in the process. He kicked his feet out from under the covers and let his bare feet gently skim the carpeted floor beneath him. He was wearing the same clothes as he went to bed in last night: a pair of jeans and a regular white T-Shirt he had packed in his backpack.

"Is Blanket up yet?" Stan asked.

Kenny nodded. "Yes, we're just waking up downstairs. Blanket told me everything is ready, we're ready to leave as soon as you are."

"I see..." Stan said quietly. He truly couldn't believe that today was the very day he was leaving his own country, in search for Kyle. Stan wondered what his parents were thinking at this very moment back home. Surely they would be freaking out over his abrupt disappearance. Stan honestly felt guilty for not letting them know more about his absence, but he felt they would have held him back from seeking out Kyle.

"I'm honestly excited." Kenny continued. "I know I may be in some trouble when I return home, but seriously, we're leaving to find our friend we've known since we were so young…"

There was a brief moment of silence in the room as Kenny summarized the events that were about to follow.

"Kenny…" Stan said, standing up. Stan was now eye-level with Kenny. Kenny seemed a little surprised at Stan coming to level with him.

"I know I've said this many times…but thank you…it means a lot to me." Stan said with a serious face.

Kenny gave a slight smile.

"I'll be waiting downstairs for you…" he said. Kenny turned around to leave the room, but paused for a moment to turn back.

"By the way, I phoned your house. No one picked up, maybe they were out searching for you. But I left a message and told your parents to relay to mine and Cartman's mother about what we're doing and that we're perfectly fine."

Stan gulped a bit. Surely he would be in massive amounts of trouble upon returning home. However, he felt it would be worth it to return home with Kyle, or at the very least, some answers.

"Thanks Kenny…" Stan said. "I'll meet you downstairs in a few."

Kenny nodded and left Stan's spacious room and closed the wooden door behind him. Stan was once again left in the silence of his room. He raised his arms above his head and twisted his body, stretching in preparation of the long day that awaited him.

Stan glanced around his room. Everything in here seemed so fancy. He had more room than ever before. He had been granted the luxury of falling asleep on a queen-sized bed drifting off into a dreamless, yet restful sleep. A window covered in a small layer of tapestry was situated at the far end of the room, letting a little bit of light from outside leak in.

Not far from Stan, another door offered passage into the bathroom, which was even more spacious. Stan walked towards the door and twisted the knob, and stepped into the threshold and onto the cool tiled floor. Next to him, a beautiful marble counter had a fancy, oval mirror that hung just above it. Stan walked over to the front of the counter and turned the faucet on.

Stan let his fingers run through the warm water. He bent forward, cupping his hands and allowing the clear water to fill up in his hands. He splashed some on his face. It felt good, and made him feel slightly more awake. He splashed his smooth face a few more times before grabbing a cloth on the counter and patting his face dry. He gently set the cloth down on the counter, clutching it with a fist with his head down. Stan raised his head and looked at himself in the mirror.

He saw that his black hair was a bit messy. 'Typical case of bedhead.' Stan thought with a slight smile. Stan remembered how Kyle's hair would look sometimes when he woke up in the morning. He recalled how messy it would look if he slept on his fro the wrong way. Stan grinned at the distant memory.

'Even if things have changed. I never want you to be a memory…' Stan thought, looking into his own eyes. 'I'm going to see you again…' Stan clenched his fist more tightly. 'I promise.'

**…**

Stan slowly descended the glass stairs into the penthouse living room. Cartman and Kenny were chatting casually on Blanket's large couch as Blanket listened from a loveseat adjacent to them, seemingly uninterested in what the two had to say. Stan noticed Blanket was in more casual clothing today: a casual dress shirt and some jeans. Eric and Kenny seemed to notice that Stan was descending the stairs, yet Blanket didn't seem like he noticed, his eyes were fixed on something outside the window near the balcony.

"Good morning…" Stan greeted Cartman and Blanket. Eric quickly jolted his head upwards.

"What's up, scrub?" Eric joked. Kenny lightly punched Cartman on the arm.

"Ow, Kenny!" Eric wined.

Stan chuckled. "I see you two are energetic today." Stan glanced at Blanket. "I can't thank you enough for this, Blanket."

"Yeah…" Blanket said. "It's not like I had anything better to do."

Stan wasn't sure how to respond. Blanket stood up and slightly adjusted the collar of his blue shirt. "Everything is packed in the limo, are you all ready to go?"

"Hell yeah we are!" Eric blurted out. "We need to go beat the crap out of that Jew!" Kenny gave Eric an angry look.

"Really?" Kenny pressed.

Eric seemed to make a mischievous smile and walked towards the elevator, leading the crew. The boys all strolled to the other end of the penthouse. Blanket pressed the button to the elevator, calling it. The boys' stood in silence as they waiting for the elevator to ascend. Stan was met with even more silence as the elevator descended to the parking garage beneath the hotel.

"So Blanket, how long is the drive to get to your ship?" Stan asked as the elevator hummed lightly.

Blanket seemed to avoid eye contact with Stan, staring straight forward at the door. "It's about a half an hour drive, nothing too bad."

"Cool." Stan replied. The elevator paused and the door opened, sending in a small gust of wind. The boys stepped into the parking garage together. Stan looked to his right to see the limo humming lightly, ready to transport the boys to the harbor. Blanket's butler exited the driver's door and stepped back to the rear door of the limo. He opened it gracefully and held an arm towards the open door. "Master Blanket and friends…" he gestured them inside.

"Let's do this." Stan said. The boys all shuffled into the limo together. Stan got into the limo last. Unfortunately, he had to share the seat next to Cartman. However, the limo was big enough so that Stan had plenty of room to stretch out and enjoy the trip. Blanket's butler shut the door lightly beside Stan and walked up to the front door. Stan was excited, yet a bit nervous to finally be on his way. He couldn't help but shake slightly at the anticipation of the adventure that was about to take place. He felt a mixture of excitement, fear, and curiosity. Suddenly, he felt a surge of energy when the driver began to drive across the parking garage.

"It's at the harbor." Blanket said plainly. "We should be there in no time." Blanket looked away from Stan a bit nervously. Stan noticed him swallow, as if he was anxious about something.

'Why is Blanket acting so weird lately?' Stan wondered. Ever since last night, Blanket's attitude had been on Stan's mind.

'I wonder if something happened between him and Kyle? Maybe I should try talking to him later…' Stan thought for a moment as the limo exited the parking garage and began rolling down the streets of New York.

Stan was tempted to bounce eagerly due to his impatience. However, he figured the limo ride would only seem that much longer.

'I'm leaving home...but truthfully I have to ask myself…will I even find Kyle? What if something happened and he isn't there anymore? Well...I know I'd go to the stars if I could find out my answers. At the very least, I want to make sure he's OK…'

Stan glanced out the window at all the skyscrapers looming above him. While large cities weren't his interest, Stan wished Kyle was with him now to experience this.

'I feel like if you were here you would have had so much fun…Kyle, what is it keeping you from talking to me? Is it you're afraid to do so, did something happen in your life? What's happened to you?' Stan thought in silence. He glanced up at the sky. Some gloomy, gray clouds were forming overhead. Something about the moment made Stan feel a bit strange. He wasn't sure what sort of emotion it was, it just felt odd to him.

The trip consisted of the boys chattering lightly among one another. Blanket mostly remained silent unless spoken to. Stan wondered what was bothering him. He knew he would have to speak to him later. He still considered Blanket a friend, he wanted to make sure he was OK.

It seemed like not much had happened besides casual chatter when the boys were rolling across a bridge overlooking the ocean. "Wow…" Stan heard Kenny say. "It's beautiful..." Stan looked out at the calm, seemingly gray waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Stan's eyes widened. The whole situation reminded him of his dream he had back in South Park.

Stan remembered standing on top of the clock tower with Kyle, overlooking an ocean with gray water with gloomy skies overhead. He wouldn't forget the ruined city or the destroyed ships in ocean. Stan shivered slightly at the thought of it.

'Was that just a dream, or was there something more?' Stan wondered. 'And what was that about that guy who tried to attack us...?' Stan wondered. No one had mentioned the situation, but Stan wondered deep down what was happening lately.

"Stan." Kenny's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Stan flicked his head towards Kenny.

"Y-Yeah?" Stan asked.

"When we find Kyle, we need to be sure to have him show us around." Kenny said enthusiastically. 'I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell us."

Stan formed a hard line with his lips. Stan enjoyed Kenny's enthusiasm, and he missed the way Kyle was years ago. Stan would describe Kyle as kind, gentle, caring, and at times (usually because of Cartman) grumpy, but in a cute way. Stan smiled at the thought of that.

"That's right." Stan said. "We'll be sure to catch up as much as we can."

Moments later, the boys were travelling through an industrial part of New York. Stan saw smoke stacks and factories almost all around him. In the distance, the waters were lapping lightly against the shores of a harbor. Stan eyed a few ships below him, he wondered which one was Blanket's. He mostly saw cargo ships, and a few small fishing boats here and there.

"You'll know it when you see it." Blanket said casually. "You can't miss it."

Stan watched in anticipation as he was nearing his destination by the minute. He couldn't believe he was about to set sail across an ocean. He had never been far away from land before. He wondered what it would be like to have water all around him, knowing that in the distance, Kyle was waiting for him.

'I have so many things to tell you…'

It was at this point that the true adventure was about to begin. This day would be reflected upon by Stan as the day he was moving towards the truth. The wheel was slowly turning towards the boys' fate. The future would bring something unimaginable for everyone. Little did they know the very moment they left South Park, their fates were building into something no one could have ever predicted.

The second storm was going to bring something even bigger than the first.

**…**

"I-It's…it's huge!" Cartman exclaimed as he stepped out of the limo and eyed the enormous ship in front of him. The ship had to be nearly 500 feet long, if not longer. The ship's exterior was completely white. It looked incredibly shiny and fancy, as if it had never been sailed before. Three smoke stacks were placed atop the ship. A very long docking bay stretched out across the water, with a large set of stairs inside a square metal tower leading up to the ship's deck.

"Blanket…" Stan said with widened eyes. "THIS…this is what we're taking?" Blanket nodded at Stan as Blanket's crew members around them took the boys things towards the ship.

"Of course. You all have brand new clothes and food aboard, as well as several amenities. Use them as much as you want until we reach Sweden. Follow me." Blanket instructed. He began leading the way down the long path towards the ship.

Stan, Kenny, and Cartman walked alongside Blanket towards the ship.

"I do have crew members aboard." Blanket continued. "Feel free to ask them if you need anything. I'll be staying in room 508. It's a first class room. You each have your own rooms as well. Stan, you're in 509. Kenny, you're in 510. Lastly, Eric, you're in 511."

"Blanket…" Stan started. "I can't believe you're doing this much for us. I really hope this wasn't too much of an expense for you. You've been very good to us, thank you."

"It's not like I don't have much money." Blanket said with posh-like tone. "Besides, it would be worth it to spend time with my old 'friends.'" Stan noticed how Blanket put a strange emphasis on friends. He hoped Blanket wasn't being sarcastic with him.

The boys walked in silence for a few moments.

"Stan." Blanket turned his head towards him as he walked. "Feel free to stop by my room if you have any questions about travel arrangements. We'll try to make plans as we go."

"I have one." Stan said. "When are we going to break in your hot tub?" Stan pressed his lips together and tried not to smile, hopeful Blanket actually had a hot tub aboard the ship.

"Whenever you'd like." Blanket said with a slight, nervous grin.

"Dude, a hot tub?!" Kenny asked excitedly. "That sounds amazing!"

It was strange for Stan, the whole situation seemed like a dream come true. Stan knew he would only enjoy this luxury for so long. Eventually, they would all have to return no matter what.

It wasn't much later that Stan found himself at the base of the stairs leading up towards the ship's deck. It was a tower in the shape of a large rectangle, with metal stairs twisting and turning all the way up to the top.

Excitement washed over Stan and he began to run up the stairs. He started to smile a bit as he ran.

'I'm really going to Sweden!' Stan thought excitedly.

"Hey!" Kenny shouted behind him. "Wait up!" Stan heard Kenny begin running behind Stan to catch up to him. Their feet clanked against the metal as they ascended the stairs. Stan chuckled as he ran all the way up the stairs with some effort. He was slowly becoming tired from all the climbing, but his burning desire to find Kyle drove him forward. He charged up the stairs with all his energy. It wasn't long before he stepped foot on the wooden deck of the ship.

Stan bent over and placed his hands on his knees, panting. He was tired from all the running, but it felt good to smile and run again. Stan heard footsteps approaching him from behind. He felt Kenny place a hand lightly on his shoulder. Kenny was tired too from the exercise.

"I can'-can't believe-…you did that." Kenny panted.

"Me either." Stan said, chuckling.

Stan caught his breath a few moments later and looked around the ship's deck. He saw that he had boarded closer towards the bow of the ship. To his right, Stan saw a few floors rise out from the deck towards the stern. He wasn't sure what was inside that portion of the ship, but surely he'd have to explore later. To his left, Stan also saw a few more floors rising out the ship's deck. He figured this was the bridge of the ship. The surface of the deck was a beautiful, polished dark wood.

"Let's check out the bow!" Stan said excitedly. Stan began to run yet again towards the front of the ship. He ran underneath a passage along the side of the ship. He watched excitedly as he ran by the gray waters, lapping gently against the ship. Stan soon heard Kenny running alongside him. He looked at Kenny and smiled as he ran. Kenny chuckled a bit in response.

Before long Stan had approached the very front of the ship. The bow deck pointed at the very tip, allowing a space for someone to step up to the very front of the ship and watch the water below. Stan and Kenny squeezed into this area and looked down in front of them at the water. They couldn't see the bottom.

"I wonder how long it's going to be before we leave…" Stan mused.

"I don't know." Kenny replied. "If we're lucky, it could be any second now."

Stan grinned. He turned around and looked at New York City in the distance.

"I can't believe we're leaving our own country to find our own friend." Stan said. "We'll have to have some fun to pass the time on the way there."

"Definitely." Kenny said. "I'd love to hit that pool when the sun comes out."

"That sounds great." Stan said. "I bet Cartman would like to hit the dining room as well."

Stan and Kenny both chuckled mischievously.

"You know…I wonder…" Kenny started.

"What?" Stan asked.

"If we get to Sweden, we have to come back, right?"

Stan nodded. "Of course. What else would we do?"

"Well…" Kenny scratched the back of his blond head. "What if we asked Kyle to come back with us for a while?"

Stan met Kenny's eyes. "Do you think he'd want to?"

Kenny shrugged. "Maybe if we find him."

The two boys jumped when they hear the enormous roar of a smokestack behind them. Stan turned to see smoke rising out of one of the stacks.

"Are we…are we leaving?!" Stan asked excitedly.

"I think we are!" Kenny replied enthusiastically.

Stan and Kenny noticed Eric approaching them, walking casually.

"You jerks left me." Eric pouted.

"Maybe you should have ran with us." Stan half-joked.

Stan stared at the distance in anticipation. He grabbed the safety bars in front of him, waiting for the ship to slowly move. A few moments went by, and a feeling of great joy ran through Stan when he felt the ship slightly pushed forward.

"We're moving!" Kenny proclaimed.

The ship started moving very slowly, it seemed to take forever to get past the docking bay. Before Stan knew it, he was moving away from New York City. Stan turned back one last time to look at his country.

'I'll be back!' Stan thought. Stan turned back towards the horizon. He knew that in the distance, Kyle was waiting for him. Stan smiled in excitement. He felt that whatever awaited him would give him closure between him and Kyle. He wanted to know the truth between him and Kyle. He wanted to know if Kyle still felt for him, and wanted to tell Kyle the truth about his own feelings as well.

The cool wind blew against Stan's face as the ship pressed forward towards the distance. His black hair was pushed back. Stan glanced over at Kenny, whose blond hair was blown messily around him. Cartman pressed a hand against his hat, trying to keep it on from the wind.

The boys' looked back towards the horizon, excited for whatever the future would bring.

**…**

**Elsewhere…**

Trent Boyett stood on the roof of an enormous skyscraper. In the distance, he could see a massive ship headed towards the horizon. The ship send out massive waves along its sides as it floated along the water.

'So they're headed to Sweden…' Trent grinned. 'Thanks, Blanket.'

Trent gripped a switchblade knife in his right hand.

"We'll meet again soon."


	46. BS: Golden Embrace

_**Author's Note: **All aboard the **HYPE** train! It's time for a new arc! So I know earlier on I believe I mentioned something to the effect of how I would only have 6 POV's. Well, I've decided to change that to add more depth to the story. In case you haven't already figured this out, this story is probably going to be pretty lengthy. But the results are going to be crazy as we get further into the story. _

_So here is a chapter that starts up a little sub-plot. Hope you all enjoy :)_

**-Noel**

Chapter 46 – Golden Embrace

**POV: **Leopold 'Butters' Stotch

A young boy with a small tuft of blond hair atop his head walked alone down the neighborhood sidewalk. He kicked a pebble as he walked. He had been doing this for a while now.

'The town seems so quiet lately…' Butters thought. It was true, it seemed as if the town was becoming less and less active since Clyde's murder. Butters couldn't believe it himself, Clyde had always seemed like such a good kid. He couldn't imagine why anyone would want to hurt him.

Butters sighed. 'Life goes on…I guess.' he thought. 'I bet he's in a better place now...' Butters had always been sweet and caring about everyone. To him at least, it felt good to think more positively about things, no matter how dark they were.

Butters stuffed his hands in his pockets. The sky overhead was a glum gray color. 'I wonder if it's going to rain…' Butters looked up at the sky with his blue eyes. 'Why does it always seem like whenever something bad happens, it rains?' Butters wondered.

Butters walked along the streets, remembering some unfortunate events in his past. He remembered when he had fallen in love with Alexis at the Raisins restaurant. He still couldn't believe he had allowed himself to do so. He felt like such a fool for opening his heart up to someone, and being so naive at the same time.

Butters remembered how Stan had entered his brief Gothic phase after Wendy had broken up with him for the first time. Butters remembered himself, when he was on the sidewalk crying about how Alexis had openly rejected him. He had given Stan some harsh words, but soon after-words, Stan had changed back into his normal self again.

'Come to think of it, I haven't seen Stan, Kenny, or Cartman much lately…' Butters hadn't seen Cartman since he was almost arrested a few weeks ago. 'I also wonder where the heck Kyle is. I thought him and Stan were good friends…' Butters hadn't really associated much with Stan and Kyle since they had 'kicked him out' of their friendship group several years ago. Butters didn't hold it against them. If they didn't want his friendship, they didn't deserve it, he felt.

Butters was walking by a nearby telephone pole where he saw a paper stapled to it. He glanced at it to see a picture of Stan on it. Above the picture was a header titled "Have you seen him?" Butters had to blink a few times to make sure he wasn't reading something else.

'Stan is missing?!' Butters thought. 'What in the world? What's been going on around town lately? First Clyde dies, now Stan goes missing, too?'

Butters heart began to race faster. He was starting to become a bit more anxious. He felt as if the town wasn't nearly as safe as it was a few years ago. Something about the town lately seemed like something dark was happening behind the scenes.

Butters suddenly felt a rain drop tap against his nose. He sighed. 'Aww, shucks. I guess I gotta go back home. Mom and dad will ground me if my clothes are too wet.'

Butters loved his parents dearly, but he couldn't stand their overly strict attitude. Butters was confined to his room for three days from the whole experience he had with Cartman. He had gotten yelled at and scolded pretty harshly. Butters certainly didn't want to anger his parents again, not right after he just got un-grounded.

'All right…' Butters thought, turning around. 'Better go home…'

Butters began walking silently in the direction of his home.

'Sometimes I really do miss those guys…' Butters thought. Even Kyle, who had been away for nearly two years, occasionally popped into Butters mind. He didn't know what drew him to think about the red headed Jewish boy, perhaps it was the fact he was so surprised by his continuous absence. He was so sure he and his family would at least come visit back home.

'Oh well, I just need to have some fun for once.' Butters thought. 'I wonder if the Super Phun Tyme is still open…' Butters considered not going home to go to the Super Phun Tyme. He remembered when he and Eric had ditched the school field trip to go to the arcade. Eric had been so feisty back in 4th grade, It really made Butters wonder what he was up to now. Butters wondered how much Cartman's mother disciplined him.

Butters sighed. 'I might as well just go home…' he thought. He gazed at the ground as he walked, trying to find a can or a pebble to kick so he could have some sort of entertainment. Butters wouldn't deny it, he was lonely sometimes. He wanted to have the friendships that his old 'group had. He wouldn't deny, Stan was probably one of the most popular ones at the school. Butters truly envied him for his large group of friends.

Butters didn't want popularity, or riches, he only wanted a really good friend. It always seemed that at school he was the one being picked on. Butters did remember though, there was one person who saved him once…someone he could never forget. As Butters walked along, memories from the fourth grade popped into his mind.

**…**

"Loo-loo-loo, I got some apples. Loo-loo-loo, ya got some too…" Butters quietly sang to himself on the swing at the school playground. Butters parents had forgotten to leave the door at home unlocked for Butters. They had some sort of event tonight. Butters thought he had overheard his parents talking about a musical or something of the like. Butters didn't figure they'd be back until after sundown. Meanwhile, he figured he'd try to entertain himself in some way.

Butters quietly swung himself through the air a few times. The swinging motion offered a little bit of fun, but Butters wished he had someone to join him. He hadn't really hung out with anyone since Stan, Kyle, and Cartman kicked him out of their group. It hurt Butters deep down to think he was only viewed as a 'temporary replacement' for Kenny. He frowned at the thought.

Butters felt his stomach grumbling. He was going to get himself something to eat at home, but sadly he didn't have access. He couldn't go to a friend's house, either.

'I guess it's just me and the swing today.' Butters thought. Butters allowed the swing to lessen its momentum. The swing stopped and he looked at the ground silently with saddened eyes. He gazed at each individual wood chip, analyzing the fine details of every one.

'Nothing is nearly as fun when you don't have a friend with you.' Butters gripped the metal chain of the swing. 'Why is it no one likes me?'

Butters would have never expected what would happen next.

He raised his head and looked towards the sun in the distance. The sun was nearly set on the horizon. Butters saw that in the parking lot, a small figure was moving towards him. It was too bright, so Butters couldn't see clearly enough to identify who it was. Butters noticed the figures clothes seemed to glow even brighter, along with their blonde hair.

Butters watched in amusement for a moment. He had never seen anyone hang out on the playground after school like this before. Butters tilted his head. Whoever it was, they were walking towards him. Finally, when the person was close enough, Butters could make out their facial features. He instantly identified the messy blond hair and the warm smile of whom he considered one the nicest kids in class.

"Hey Butters." Kenny said with a warm smile.

"Oh…hey Ken." Butters said. He nervously looked away from Kenny towards the ground. Butters was always hypersensitive to criticism and insults, even though he had taken so much of it. He still had a heart that cared for everyone, regardless of what they did to him. Though he was always a little anxious when he was around other people, for fear of being criticized.

"Why are you out here?" Kenny asked. Butters was surprised when Kenny sat on the swing right next to him.

"Oh me?" Butters asked.

"Well, who else would I be talking to?" Kenny chuckled a little bit.

Butters looked down at the ground, his face red with embarrassment. 'There goes my first stupid moment.' Butters thought condescendingly.

"I'm out here because my parents forgot to let me in…" he finally replied to Kenny.

"Really?" Kenny raised an eyebrow. "That sucks, dude."

Butters gave a weak smile. "It happens." Butters turned his face towards Kenny. "So what brings you out here?"

Kenny gazed up at the orange sky and began swinging slightly. "Well...I don't exactly have a lot to do at home, so sometimes I come here later in the day when no one else is here. I don't really have the privilege of flat-screen TV's, tons of video games…none of that. It helps me pass the time when I come out here. It's quiet, and it gives me time to think."

"What do you think about?" Butters asked, interested.

"I normally think about things that are life-related." Kenny replied. "You know, thoughts about how the world could be a better place. How some people's lives could be better if they do certain things…Sometimes I think about my friends, because they may be stuck in a situation and I might try and think about how they can get out of it…"

"Golly, that's a lot to think about." Butters expressed. He nervously tapped his two index fingers together. "Do you ever think about me? I was kicked out of your 'group' because you came back." Butters somberly continued.

"They all told me about that." Kenny answered. "I know they did."

"Well, what do you think about it Ken?" Butters pressed. "How is it fair that I had what I considered my friends just...taken away from me just because you came back?"

"I don't think it's fair." Kenny replied. "In fact, I think it's wrong."

Butters sniffed, trying to hold back tears. "I just don't understand why they would hate me so much…why I've done so much for them…" Butters remembered all the hijinks he put up with those few months he was with them.

"You know what?" Kenny responded.

Butters remained silent, he didn't want his emotions to break.

Kenny smiled. "If they did that to you, they weren't really your friends in the first place. It's not right, but there's better people out there for you." Kenny got up and walked over to Butters, whose face was still down staring at the ground.

Butters eyes widened when he felt a gentle, warm hand mess up his hair. Butters looked up to see Kenny holding his palm on top of Butters head. "You're you, Butters. Don't ever change for anyone. You'll make a lot of friends, I promise."

Butters eyes almost began overflowing at that very moment. 'Kenny…' Butters thought.

Without thinking much about it, Butters instinctively jumped out of his seat and wrapped his arms around Kenny. He stood there for a moment, taking in Kenny's sweet affection. Kenny returned the grasp. Butters had never been happier to receive a hug before. Kenny had saved him back then, in more ways than one.

**…**

'And where are you now, Kenny?' Butters thought to himself in the present. 'I just hope you're OK…'

Butters put his hands in his pockets and continued walking home.

'Whatever is happening around this town, I don't like it.'


	47. (?): Threat

_**Author's Note:** Hey everyone. First things first, I wanted to respond to some constructive reviews I've received. Some reviews pointed out some flaws in my writing and at the same time helped me become a better writer. For following me for so long, I do want to be completely honest to my followers, this is going to be a **VERY** long FanFiction. This doesn't mean it's going to have the same things happen all the way through. I know at this point the story may seem like it's dragging on (I very much understand, some of my friends want to bash their heads against the desk to hear about Kyle again), but I promise you that the pace is really going to pick up and the story is going to develop more depth in the next arc. I think this chapter should at least get things rolling a bit more. _

_Stan's Quest arc is the next arc. I absolutely promise it's there that you'll finally have some long awaited questions answered. :) For now, please bear with me as we get through this current arc. There are plenty of surprises in store for this arc, too!_

_To try to speed things up a little bit, the chapters may be shorter (such as this one). So please look forward to more frequent updates._

_Thanks for your patience and dedication, everyone!_

_-_**Noel**

Chapter 47 – Threat

**POV: **?

A boy sat at a wooden desk inside of a dimly lit room. His feet were placed on top of the desk, next to a flickering candle that kept burning strong. The boy scratched at his black hair, then took a long puff on his cigar. He watched as the smoke exited his mouth and slowly drifted towards the darkness above him. He turned his head towards the door when he heard a rasping sound.

"Come in." The boy invited, unmoving. The door slowly creaked open as a figure in all black clothing stepped in. They wore a hood over their head, covering most of their facial features. The boy could just barely make out lips and a nose in the darkness, but the person's eyes were veiled by darkness. The figure kept their distance from the boy at the desk.

"What do you want?" The boy asked grumpily.

"I thought you might like to know the whereabouts of the three boys. It seems they are leaving for Sweden." Spoke a deep, cracking voice.

The boy took another long puff of his cigar. "And how does this affect me?"

"Well, I know you made a deal to show Trent Boyett where the boys were while he was here. I have to admit though, it's making me curious as to why he's after those three…Aren't you curious as well, Luigi?"

"Don't say my name." Luigi snapped. "...I have to admit though, I do wonder at times why he's after those three…four if you count Kyle."

The hooded figure leaned on one leg. "So why don't we seek them out as well?"

Luigi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well…" The hooded figure started. "If we happened to follow Trent. What if we saw for ourselves what he's after?"

Luigi kicked his feet off the desk and removed his cigar from his mouth. He pressed it into the ash tray firmly. He then rested his elbows on the table and made a fist, then covered it with his other hand. "I have other plans. Plans that take place around here."

"Oh?" the hooded figure mused.

"One of my men was murdered the other night…the one who Trent killed."

"That was one of yours?" the figure asked.

"Yes." Luigi replied. "I had my special reasons for sending him, but it didn't quite work out because of Trent."

"What sort of reasons?" The figure asked.

Luigi glared at the figure. "Who do you think is the boss around here?"

"Sorry." The hooded figure replied, unchanged. "Just curious is all."

Luigi stood up and walked over to the other side of his desk. He leaned against it, and folded his arms.

"I have another job for you." Luigi offered.

"Who do you want me to kill?" The figure asked.

"I don't want you to _kill_ anyone." Luigi answered. "I want you to 'tame' them."

"What do you mean?" The figure asked.

"I'll put it this way." Luigi replied. "Start beating them up until they change. You'll see what I mean."

"Fine then." The figure replied flatly. "Who's the target?"

Luigi reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small picture. He held it out to the figure.

"I recognize them." The figure responded.

"Good." Luigi replied. "Her name is Wendy Testaburger. I'm going to warn you though. Make sure she's not around this boy."

Luigi handed the figure another photograph.

"I don't recognize this one." The figure replied, puzzled.

"His name is Craig Tucker." Luigi explained. "Try and make sure Wendy isn't around him. Things could...take a turn..."

The figure nodded. "I'll be on my way then..."

Luigi watched as the figure became translucent then vanished from his sight.

Luigi returned to his seat and reached for his desk drawer. He pulled it open, then grabbed another fresh cigar inside. He pulled a lighter from his suit coat and lit it up. He inhaled deeply, then blew it out slowly.

'Things are about to get interesting around here.'


	48. WT: Wendy's Awakening - Part I

_**Author's Note:** FINALLY! This chapter is done. I must apologize, I've had writers block lately and was trying to take some feedback to heart. I tried using some new words and structures in this chapter, I hope you all see a difference in a positive way. I know those of you who are dedicated followers are patiently waiting for a reunion between Stan and Kyle. The boys are on their way to Sweden, and this book is slowly approaching the half way mark. (CHAPTER 53 is about halfway GUYS! :)) I can tell you that the final half of the book will give you all some much needed answers. We're getting closer to the meat n' taters, so stay tuned and enjoy the coming chapters!_

Chapter 48 – Wendy's Awakening: Part 1

**POV:** Wendy Testaburger

Wendy continued running along the hard surface of the neighborhood sidewalk. She had been running for nearly five minutes now. She was tired, but she believed finding Craig was her top priority.

'Craig…After all you've done for me…I at least owe you a talk, face to face…' Wendy thought, determined.

Wendy had left her neighborhood and was now running through the back roads of South Park. Wendy glanced around her as she ran, eager to find Craig.

'He must be in town…right?' Wendy wondered. In the pit of her stomach, she felt dread. She was worried that Craig had left town, perhaps he was dead somewhere. She feared the thought of not having closure with Craig. Deep down, she had some things she needed to say, no matter how hard they were for either of them.

Wendy's mind was racing rapidly, re-thinking about the events over the previous years. To her it had seemed like it was just the other day that she had met Craig. Wendy remembered how Craig had approached her in Mr. Adler's wood shop class, seemingly out of nowhere, with his warm smile and somewhat nervous demeanor. Wendy recalled how nice he had been to her that day, and all the days afterwords.

'And not long after we met…we went on our first date together…' she thought to herself.

Wendy also remembered the night she had spent at the mall with Craig. She remembered waiting outside in the dark night as the snow fell around both of them. The moment had seemed so perfect for Wendy, she wished she could rewind time and go back to that moment where her feelings were growing so strongly for Craig.

'Craig…do you remember what you said to me? It was last winter…I'll never forget what happened…I remember well…it was on a Friday…the week before exam week and winter break…and one of the best nights of my life…'

**…**

"Ok children let's take our seats. We have a lot to learn today." Mr. Garrison announced to his already seated students. Wendy sat calmly at her desk in some gray sweatpants and a purple hoodie. Craig was situated next to her with a dark blue hoodie and a pair of dark blue jeans. Wendy knew this was Craig's favorite color, it always had been. Wendy studied the side of Craig's smooth face. She found it cute to see his black bangs poking out of his long blue hat, covering his ears.

'Maybe he should dye his hair blue…' Wendy thought, grinning.

Mr. Garrison began his lecture to this class. Today, it was about Game of Thrones, yet again. Wendy sat at her desk lightly swinging her feet, excited for the final week of school to be over with. Not only was school about to end for the year, but Christmas was approaching as well, which meant a nice, long break from school. To Wendy's dismay, she still hadn't gone shopping for Craig. She hadn't thought of what to get him, it was hard with him being so mysterious. She was hoping that she would come up with some creative ideas for a gift that would please Craig. She wanted nothing more than to see him smile.

The class seemed to drag on forever before the school bell finally rang. Wendy was gathering her books when she felt a tap on her shoulder. She turned to see Craig.

"Craig…hey…" She said, a bit surprised Craig wanted her attention.

"Hey." Craig said in his usual monotone voice. "So I was thinking…our two year anniversary is coming up…want to go on a date with me tonight?"

Wendy smiled. "What did you have in mind?"

Craig flicked his deep eyes away from Wendy. "Well…" he said nervously. "I know this might uh…sound cheesy…but…" Craig scratched the back of his head.

"What is it?" Wendy asked, curious.

"Want to go to the mall with me?" Craig asked, trying not to blush. "It's not that I want to go shopping, but they have all the lights all lit up in the courtyard. I thought you might want to go…since we didn't plan anything…" Craig gave a nervous grin. "Plus, I figured it would be a nod to our first date together..."

"Craig…" Wendy became lost in thought for a brief moment. "I'd love to!" Wendy excitedly threw her arms in the air and wrapped her arms around Craig's waist. Her nose took in the sweet scent of Craig's body wash.

'He smells like mountain breeze…' Wendy thought. 'I never want to let him go…he smells so good…'

Craig broke off the hug with Wendy and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"So tonight at say…8:30? Does that sound good?" Craig asked.

Wendy placed her hands on both sides of Craig's soft neck.

"That sounds perfect to me…"

**…**

Wendy continued moving forward back in the present, her determination unwavering.

'I never thought you would ask me to go on a date like that, Craig…but I realized how thoughtful you were really being towards me…I didn't even know how strong my feelings for you were that night…and I'll never forget what you said to me…It made me wonder, but it also made me never want to let you go...'

**…**

"Craig, hey!" Wendy greeted Craig at the mall, wrapping her arms around him, uncaring of all the people around them. Craig held her tightly for a moment, gently inhaling the smell of her freshly shampooed hair. Wendy thought Craig's embrace had seemed so warm, and so gentle. She didn't want to escape from his grasp.

"Want to head out to the courtyard?" Craig suggested.

Wendy grabbed Craig's warm hand firmly. "I'd love to, let's head outside."

Wendy and Craig held hands as they proceeded through the mall together. Wendy lightly swung their arms together as they walked, making Craig chuckle a bit. Craig holding her hand made her feel safe, like no harm would ever come to her as long as he was around.

'I can't believe I've been with him for two years…' Wendy thought. 'It was one of the last things I would imagine would happen to me…but here I am…with him… He's all mine…and no one else's…I've never been so lucky…' Wendy believed.

Craig and Wendy exited a pair of double doors out into the courtyard of the mall. The courtyard was located in the central area of the mall. There were four walls on each side of the courtyard, forming a square shaped area. In the middle of the courtyard, a decadent stone fountain spilled water onto its lower layers. There were lights underneath the water, seemingly changing the color of the water by the second. The fountain had a built in heating system, so that the water would never freeze over.

A beautiful cobblestone path led up to the fountain, and encircled around it. There were a few benches and what looked like old London street lamps, gently flickering in the night. The trees on the edge of the courtyard were decorated with twisting, colorful Christmas lights, which glowed softly and changed color every few seconds. Above Wendy, a dark, cloudy sky shown no stars. A very slight breeze slowly waved through the air, gently lifting the tips of Wendy's dark hair.

"Let's go sit down." Craig suggested. Wendy followed Craig to a nearby bench. To her luck, the courtyard was empty, void of other people except for herself and Craig. Wendy had the courtyard to just her and her boyfriend, for a while at least. Wendy situated herself on a bench, inches away from Craig. She scooted a bit closer to Craig, trying to feel snug and warm. The fountain was a beautiful sight, and the water was soothing and relaxing to Wendy's mind.

Wendy smiled when she felt Craig wrap one arm around her and gently pull her closer to him.

"You know, I can't believe we've been dating for so long..." Craig mused.

"I guess we're both just so_ fabulous_." Wendy grinned, and gently poked Craig's chest. Craig gave a weak smile in return.

"Hey Craig…" Wendy started. "Can I ask you something?"

Craig turned his head and met Wendy's eyes. "Sure, anything."

Wendy took a moment to study Craig's eyes. His eyes seemed so deep and mysterious, like he had a lot more history than Wendy could have ever imagined. Craig's eyes always made Wendy wonder what his true character was like. Sure, Craig seemed sweet and caring towards Wendy, but it almost seemed as if he didn't like himself. He hardly ever spoke of his past and never about his own family. Wendy wanted to know more about Craig, but she just felt afraid to ask.

"Do you have any pets?" Wendy asked.

Craig raised an eyebrow. "That was random." he chuckled a bit.

"Do you?" Wendy pressed.

"Yeah." Craig answered. "I have a guinea pig, his name is stripes."

"Awe…" Wendy said cutely. "When am I going to get to meet him?"

"Maybe someday..." Craig said flatly. Craig pulled Wendy even closer to him. Wendy rested her head lightly against Craig's shoulder. The two watched the fountain together for a moment. The air was quiet, and it almost felt dreamy to Wendy that she was with Craig here tonight. She couldn't consider herself any luckier to have someone like him.

"Wendy?" Craig spoke.

"Hmm?" Wendy replied.

"There's something I want to tell you." Craig gently scooted away a few inches on the bench and met Wendy with a blank gaze. Wendy looked into his deep eyes, curious of what he was about to say to her.

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while now. It's a bit of a touchy question, but since we've been dating for almost two years, would you allow me to ask you something personal?" Craig inquired.

Wendy smiled. "Yes, you can ask me anything."

For a moment the only sound was the gentle trickle of the fountain. Wendy waited in eager anticipation of Craig's question.

"What would happen if we ever broke up?"

The courtyard seemed as if it became dead silent. Simultaneously, Wendy noticed snowflakes began to fall around her and Craig. The two looked into each other's eyes for what seemed like forever before Wendy finally spoke.

"C-Craig…what kind of question is that?" Wendy asked, a snowflake lightly tapped against her nose.

"I just want to know." Craig answered. "It's nothing to do with any problems I have, I just wanted to ask you. I want to know if I'm the best you could have. Nothing would make me happier than knowing you really love being with me…even if I am monotone, plain, boring, a troublemaker…I just want to know. I notice you've almost never spoken to Stan after you've broken up with him. Maybe the situation would be different with us, I just want to know what you'd do if we'd break up. Would we still be friends…or?"

Wendy avoided Craig's eyes for a moment and stared silently at the ground. "It really depends, Craig...whatever the reason could possibly be for us breaking up…"

"What if I was keeping some secrets from you?" Craig asked.

"What kind of secrets?" Wendy asked.

Craig frowned. "Secrets...that might scare you away."

"Well, do you have secrets you can't tell me?" Wendy pressed.

Craig remained silent.

"Craig?" Wendy pushed.

"I might. But it has nothing to do between us two. It has more to do with me…" Craig replied quietly.

"Do you want to tell me?" Wendy asked.

"Maybe sometime in the future…" Craig replied softly. "I can tell you it's nothing like I don't like you, because I really do…it's not a secret like I'm cheating on you, or I'm on drugs, anything that would push us away that is an issue to between us personally…it's mostly something about me…"

"OK…" Wendy trailed off, still curious. "But are we…fine?"

Craig nodded. "Definitely. I just wanted to see how you would respond…thanks for being so open about this, Wendy…Can I...ask you one more thing?"

"What?" Wendy asked.

"If we ever do…you know…break it off. Can you promise me we'll remain friends no matter what?" Craig held a pinky out towards Wendy. "Even if I can't be with you in that way forever, I want to see you happy wherever you go and whatever it is you decide to do, even if that means you're just a friend."

Wendy instinctively wrapped her arms around Craig. Her eyes became watery as she stared down at the ground behind Craig's back.

"I promise…" Wendy agreed.

Craig pulled Wendy in tightly. Wendy secretly had a feeling of dread in the back of her mind. She felt as if her happy days were soon going to end. She wanted to be with Craig for as long as she possibly could. Wendy wanted nothing more than happiness, but she knew that time kept flowing, and the world kept turning.

And that the snow around them would keep falling…

**…**

Back in the present, Wendy was running through some thick trees towards Stark's pond. She knew Stark's Pond was a place that people went when they needed to get away from people, or needed time to think for a few hours. It was almost like a secret rule in South Park, if someone wanted some alone time, either with themselves or as a couple, Stark's Pond was the place to go. Regardless of anyone's reasons, it was always considered respectful to leave other people to do their own thing, whatever that was.

Wendy could see Stark's pond in the distance through the trees. She continued running, ducking underneath any branches or dodging them when needed. Wendy finally burst through the tree line and instinctively ran for the bench. When she reached it, she placed a hand on the back of it, panting from her efforts. To her dismay, the bench was completely empty.

'Craig…where are you?' Wendy wondered.

Wendy took a moment to sit down on the bench, trying to catch her breath from all the running. She needed a moment to recuperate, her body wasn't used to all this running. She leaned back on the bench, watching the still waters of Stark's Pond as she panted tiredly.

'I remember when Craig and I came here on a date not too long ago…' Wendy thought. She remembered how Craig had seemed so mysterious that day. It seemed as if he had some enormous secret he was keeping from her. She always wondered what that was, but Craig hadn't told her.

'Was it wrong of me to not make sure everything was OK with him?' Wendy pondered. 'It's not like I wanted to pressure him or anything, but I still worry about him…even now…'

The sky overhead still seemed as if it was going to rain any second. Wendy closed her eyes, trying to relax for a minute. She was shaking a bit, nervous about Craig. She had already lost Clyde, and she didn't want to imagine the thought of something happening to Craig.

Wendy opened her eyes to stare up at the sky after she rested for a few minutes.

'I should probably get going…' Wendy thought. Wendy tilted her head forward and began to stand up.

'Where could Craig b-?' Wendy's eyes widened in horror at the sight in front of her. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. She blinked a few times, trying to check to make sure she was still in touch with reality. She was, her efforts to escape were to no avail.

Standing in the middle of Stark's Pond was a figure hooded in all black. They wore a large cloak with long sleeves, and a chain was dangling around their neck. A cloth was wrapped around their face, and all Wendy could see was dark red eyes staring at her with malice. The figure was standing at the very surface of the water, not sinking at all.

'What the hell?' Wendy thought. Wendy was frozen in fear just looking at the menacing figure. Her heart beat faster as she slowly saw the figure step across the surface of water slowly.

"Wendy Testaburger." Spoke a dark voice from underneath the hood. Wendy gasped in horror when she saw the flicker of shiny silver protrude from the figure's sleeve. Wendy instinctively began running away from the figure. Her fear drove her to run as fast as she could, in fear of her life.

Wendy felt absolute dread when the figure suddenly appeared in front of her, as if it had teleported.

"This is where it ends for you." The figure spoke.

The next moment seemed as if it had taken centuries to happen. Wendy watched as the figure pulled their arm back and began to stab the knife in the direction of Wendy's heart.

'Is this…really it?' Wendy thought as the silver knife was quickly approaching her body. Wendy closed her eyes in anticipation of the pain that was about to come.

Suddenly, Wendy felt the air around her moving quickly, making her hair fly out from behind her. She felt an immense energy in front of her. She opened her eyes slowly. She gasped when she saw what was in front of her.

In the woods, Wendy saw the figure had retreated several feet away from her, half hidden behind some trees. Directly in front of Wendy, just inches away, was a familiar set of black hair. She recognized the dirty blue jacket of someone she was all too familiar with.

"Wendy…" Craig spoke.

"C-Craig…what are you doing?!" Wendy yelled. "Don't risk yourself for me!"

Craig turned around and looked into Wendy's eyes. Wendy was frozen in absolute fear when she saw Craig's face. His face seemed tired, and beaten. The worst feature to Wendy were Craig's eyes: They were no longer the deep, mysterious eyes of Craig tucker. No, they were red, filled with hatred.

'His eyes…he looks so cold…' Wendy thought.

Craig silently turned back to face the figure. "I'll kill you..."

Wendy remained still for a second. "Don't fight…please…" Wendy pleaded.

"I promise I won't die." Craig vowed.

"It seems Trent has awakened your power…" hooded figure mused in the distance. "But hers…" the figure rested its vengeful eyes on Wendy. "It seems she has yet to awaken…"

"Don't you dare touch her!" Craig hissed angrily. Wendy felt a strong gust of wind and saw the grass by Craig's feet blow strongly in the direction of the dark figure.

"I'm actually not here to kill either of you." The hooded figure replied. "I'm simply trying to report some progress."

Wendy fell to her knees, shaking.

"Don't worry, Wendy." Craig said, taking a few steps towards the figure. "This will be over in a matter of minutes."

Wendy remained speechless.

'What's happening to South Park lately? What is all of this?'

"One more thing." Craig said as he slowly approached the hooded figure. He paused for a moment. "When I get done with this fight, would you be willing to talk to me?"

Wendy's eyes began to water, she couldn't believe how risky Craig was being, all for her. "Y-Yes..." she choked out.

"Good...If you want to...close your eyes..."

Wendy couldn't close her eyes, she wanted to see what happened, no matter how bloody it turned out to be.

The hooded figure burst from the tree lines. "Let's go!"

Craig stood motionless as the figure charged for him.

Wendy's heart raced when she saw the figure pull silver from it's sleeve yet again.

"Die." the figure grunted, uncaring.

Wendy watched as the figure pushed his knife towards Craig. The next few seconds felt like hours to her as the inches between Craig's body and the knife slowly passed by.

Wendy shut her eyes tightly, not wanting to see Craig's death. For a moment, the world went silent. Wendy suddenly felt cold, as if she was in a blizzard. Several seconds passed by. Wendy thought time just seemed to be flowing by, but when seemingly minutes had passed, she allowed herself to slowly open her eyes. Wendy stood up and gazed around her. She was underneath a dark, cloudy sky as snow fell around her. She heard boots crunch in the distance. The moonlight offered her little light. Wendy saw a shadow slowly approaching in the darkness. She instinctively wanted to begin running away, but her heart stopped when she heard a voice speak.

"Wendy..."

Wendy's eyes almost instantly became watery.

"That voice..." Wendy slowly walked toward the shadow. "It can't be..."

When Wendy was inches away from the shadow, her suspicions were confirmed.

"It's...it's you..." Wendy gazed at the boy in front of her. "I can't believe I'm seeing you..."

"Wendy..." the boy smiled. "We need to talk."

Wendy instantly wrapped her arms around the boy in front of her and sobbed into his shoulder.

"I can't believe yo-you...you're here..." Wendy choked out.

Wendy felt the boy gently embrace her.

"I know, but I don't have much time. Listen to me..."

The boy slowly pushed Wendy a step back. Wendy wiped her eyes.

"Anything you want...Clyde..."

Clyde smiled at Wendy.


	49. WT: Wendy's Awakening - Part II

_**Author's Note: **Finally, another chapter is published! Sorry for the long wait, school has been bogging me down with work but I finally found some time to type out the next chapter. I'm very happy to bring you all the next installment. Chapter 50 is coming up next, feel the hype! The next chapter is going to briefly diverge from the current arc and is going to be released as a 'special' chapter. It's a 'secret' chapter I've been working on. I promise you'll like it. :) Stay tuned! Thanks again for you dedication, love you all._

_-Noel_

Chapter 49 – Wendy's Awakening: Part II

**POV:** Wendy Testaburger

Wendy wiped her wet tears away one more time. She couldn't believe how hard she had to fight in order to hold them back. She wanted to tell Clyde so many things, but it seemed as if he only had a limited time to tell her what he wanted.

"OK Wendy…" Clyde paused for a moment.

"Actually. You know what…There's a lot to explain…we might as well have a seat…" Clyde sighed before taking a seat on the snow carelessly. It crunched beneath him. Wendy raised an eyebrow at Clyde's casual act.

"Clyde…how can you be so…relaxed about this?!" Wendy expressed, partially annoyed, yet partly amused.

"Sit, I'll explain." Clyde held out his hand, gesturing to an empty spot on the ground in front of him. Wendy huffed as she gently took a seat in front of Clyde. She gazed into his deep brown eyes, taking in what she saw as a flurry of emotion from him. Wendy nodded, gesturing Clyde to start.

"All right, let me start by explaining this place we find ourselves in in." Clyde began before he took a brief glance around him. "I'm still new to this strange place myself, but I've been here for a while…I know this might sound odd…but the time on this 'plane' we are on is longer than that back in South Park. So basically, the reason I'm acting so casual is because an hour here is practically a minute back home. We have an extended amount of time here, but I'm worried Craig may not be able to fight that man on his own."

Wendy's heart began racing again. "Craig's in trouble, we have to do something! Unless you need to tell me something incredibly important, I need to go back…I just…"

Clyde held out a finger and gently pressed it against Wendy's lips. "Don't worry, Wendy. It won't take an hour to explain everything. Just try and be patient, the more you understand, the better off you'll be."

There was a strange pause before Wendy asked a question she was dying to know. "Clyde, are you…dead? Is that why you're here, in this place?"

There was a long, strenuous pause before Clyde finally answered. "Not exactly…I may have been dead on Earth, but this place is more like…a spirit world…but I only found that out because someone explained some things to me…"

"Who?" Wendy asked. "Who else did you see here? I want to know." Wendy's curiosity was slowly peaking.

Clyde sighed. "Never mind that, Wendy. I need to tell you about something happening in South Park. You need to relay this to only people that you trust."

Wendy raised an eyebrow "What's happening?"

Clyde frowned. "The truth is, Wendy. There's a lot of evil in South Park, and it's slowly coming to the surface. I don't know who those people are, like the one you just met at Stark's Pond, but they mean dark, dreadful things. These people…if you can call them people…are only in South Park to cause torment to people, at least that's what I've gathered."

'So there are more of those people?' Wendy thought with dread. She felt butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

Clyde continued. "Right now, Craig is back in South Park fighting that strange man. Luckily, this world that we are in, the time passes very slowly compared to regular time. So I have time to tell you, Wendy…about your power."

Wendy's eyes widened. "What power?"

Clyde smiled. "Do you remember that night that Craig saved you from that man?"

Wendy's mind flashed back to that horrible night. She remembered the silver metal being held against her throat as the red eyes of her attacker gazed down at her. She almost felt she with upmost certainty that she was going to die, but Craig had appeared just in time to save her from a terrible fate. Wendy didn't stick around after Craig had saved her, so she had no idea what happened after that."

"I died to protect Craig." Clyde admitted. "I did it because he was my best friend...and because...I know he thinks a lot of you."

Wendy felt extremely guilty at the thought of Clyde risking his own life to protect Craig. She almost felt it would have been better if no one had shown up that night to save her. Perhaps then, no lives would have been lost.

"So that's how you died…" Wendy formed a hard line with her lips. "I can't believe you did that for him…" Wendy glanced at the ground, in deep thought about Craig.

"He was my best friend, I couldn't just let him die." Clyde replied. "I died happily knowing that I saved him. Now, where was I? Oh yeah…After I had died, I found myself in this strange place. I was able to watch over Craig from here, and had noticed that he had awoken some mysterious power. You saw how his eyes were glowing red, right?"

Wendy nodded, trying to digest everything.

"That's because his power was awakened under dark, dreadful circumstances. It only happened because I died…Which to a degree, I feel bad. Craig has to fight the darkness in his heard in order to harness the power to the best of his ability. When he has red eyes like what you've seen…he's bloodthirsty. He wants to kill those who threaten those close to him. Be careful Wendy, when his power is awakened, he's in a state that isn't exactly good for anyone."

'So that's why Craig looked so dark...' Wendy assumed. She did recall his eyes seemed filled with bitterness.

Wendy clutched her stomach. She was digesting so much information so fast, and she wasn't sure if she was feeling better or worse from Clyde's explanation.

"So, how did you figure out about those evil people, hidden powers, and such?" Wendy inquired.

Clyde smiled. "An old friend told me about it...I know we're moving fast Wendy, but I have a question for you. Do you want to help protect Craig? You have to be brave, but it's the only chance you two have, if you fight against that man as one."

Wendy stood up, determination energizing her body. "I accept." she said boldly.

Clyde casually stood up in front of Wendy.

"Now, allow me explain this power to you first before you let it come to surface." Clyde instructed.

Wendy patiently listened to what Clyde had to say.

"You see, the reason you are here in this world talking to me like this, is that when you were awake and physically alert back in the human world, you came here because you felt endangered. You sensed danger and wanted to retreat. It's no shame, you didn't know about this world yet, and your feelings led you here. The thing is, you have a unique power. You're able to communicate with those that have passed on the Earth. But I have something even cooler to tell you." Clyde grinned.

"Tell me about my power." Wendy urged.

"You actually...sort of have two powers." Clyde scratched the back of his head. "The 'first' power is your physical form. You have the ability to enhance your agility and make quick strikes at your opponent. There will be certain times when speed is more important than strength, remember that well for the battles to come." Clyde explained.

"More battles?" Wendy asked in disbelief.

"There will be." Clyde admitted. "The thing is, this world isn't exactly a safe haven either. If they find out a way to get here…I'm afraid I'll simply disappear if they reach me here… I'll cease to exist, and become nothing…Which is why I want to tell you about your second ability. This second power is what can help you out in times of need." Clyde explained.

"Tell me." Wendy said.

"You can summon anyone from this world to fight by your side, as long as you made a blood pact with them. The catch is, when you summon someone from this world, all their energy will be intertwined with yours. So basically, if they were to throw three punches, you would feel energy drained from you as much as they put into those three punches. If you bring someone stronger than you to battle with you, they may land a few strong blows, but once you are exhausted, they have to disappear back to the other world. How long they stay all depends on your willpower to continue. Another catch with the summoning is that when you summon someone, they are put into a 'vessel' of sorts…and these vessels have mortality. If our summoned vessels are hurt, and we die, our soul simply disappears. We don't come back to this world, we just transform into nothingness..." Clyde explained sadly.

"This is so much, Clyde..." Wendy shook her head.

Clyde placed his hands on Wendy's shoulders. "Wendy, I believe in you. I've been watching you, and I know you want to work to protect Craig. You two need to talk when this battle is over. Not just for your relationship, but also about this darkness. You two need to work together to prevent any more death in South Park. It's going to be challenging…but I'm going to fight with you this time. Hopefully you can get used to your power… We're going to protect Craig, together. But I need you to make a blood pact with me to summon me."

Wendy's eyes widened as she watched Clyde reach into his back pocket. He pulled out a sharp, translucent crystal knife. It was unlike anything Wendy had ever seen. The edges were very jagged, yet it shined brightly, like a new dime. Wendy cringed at the thought of the pain it would cause.

"This part isn't going to be very fun…Slice your hand. I promise the wound you inflict on yourself here won't be on your palm when you get back. It only hurts for a second." Clyde explained.

Wendy gasped as Clyde sliced the knife along his hand, wincing slightly. A small gash ran along his hand and blood began to well at the surface.

"Do it, then I'll explain to you how to awaken your power." Clyde handed the knife to Wendy. She reluctantly took it.

'I want to protect Craig...' Wendy thought. She hesitated and held the knife close to her skin.

'I'm doing this for you...' Wendy winced as she sliced the surface of her hand. Blood trickled across her palm. Clyde took his sliced hand in hers, and their blood intertwined.

"Let's begin your training." Clyde grinned.


	50. SM: Special! Connecting Hearts

_**Author's** **Note:** Hi everyone! I'm so very happy to have published the special 50th chapter of my fiction. I've been working on this for awhile, and it was difficult for me to come up with some ideas, but I have to admit that I'm very pleased with the result. I know a lot is happening right now, but I wanted to publish something special, something that I feel some of my followers would want to see. I really hope you enjoy this special chapter. Please consider leaving a review with your feedback! I'd love to hear if you enjoyed it!_

**_Author Special shout out to: _**_My amazing, purple haired friend Kota. Thank you so much for your kindness and inspiration. 3_

Chapter 50: Special Chapter – Connecting Hearts

**POV: **Stan Marsh

Stan gripped the cool metal rails of the ship's bow and stared down at the seemingly endless waves of grey water. The ship pressed forward along the water as Stan allowed his mind to wander. Much had been on his mind lately, and he had wanted some time to think by himself. The setting he was in helped him think more clearly. He raised his head to glance around him. Surrounding him, there was nothing but the ocean everywhere he would look. Wherever Stan allowed his eyes to travel, he saw nothing in the distance but the horizon, and a seemingly endless amount of water. The sun was setting slowly in the distance, creating a dim glow against Stan's clear, smooth face. His black hair swayed lightly in the breeze. It felt good, though he subconsciously kept in mind that his hat may fly off any moment.

'It was only a few months ago, wasn't it Kyle?' Stan thought. 'May 26th…your birthday…' Stan had never forgotten his best friend's birthday.

Stan stared off into the distance directly ahead of him. 'I wonder how much longer it's going to be until I see you again…' he wondered. 'I remember all the fun times we've had…I even remember…' Stan smiled at the thought of the memories rushing through his head. 'The night I thought I started liking you.' Stan chuckled a bit.

'I remember it well…' Stan gazed up at the amber sun as he allowed his memories to flood back to him. 'Years ago, back in the fourth grade...it was during the fall, right after school had started up again...'

Stan's memories had made him feel like a kid again, he could almost visualize how he had felt in fourth grade once again. His younger body, his feeling of youth, and the presence of the young Kyle that was still with him.

His memories began to replay in his mind.

**…**

'Oh shoot!' Stan thought as he ran through the hallway. His backpack was bouncing against his back and his footsteps were echoing down the tiled hallways. Stan was slowed by the weight of his ridiculous textbooks. His young body was about to perspire from all his effort.

'Why do we have to carry these stupid things, anyway?' Stan thought bitterly.

Stan continued to jog in the direction of Mr. Garrison's classroom, which was still five classrooms down the hallway to the right. The hallways were clear, all the students had already gathered in their respective classrooms.

'I can't be late…' Stan thought worriedly. 'I've never been late before…' Stan was extremely anxious as he somewhat anticipated the ringing of the school bell.

'The moment that bell rings…I'm done for…' Stan thought. 'No perfect attendance award. I'll suffer disappointment from my parents…I can't deal with this…I have to make it!'

It wasn't much longer that Stan reached the threshold of Mr. Garrison's classroom. He quickly swung open the door and barged into Mr. Garrison's classroom, huffing with breath. He placed a hand against the wall, tired from his strenuous effort. Many of the already seated students stared at Stan as he stood in the doorway, panting. Just seconds later, the school bell rang.

"I...I made it..." Stan huffed as he slowly moved towards the only vacant seat in the classroom.

"Well, Stanley, looks like you were literally saved by the bell. Take your seat." Said Mr. Garrison, who was up by the chalk board, tapping his foot and waiting impatiently to lecture. "Alright children, yesterday we talked about…" Stan sat down at his desk, ignoring what Mr. Garrison was saying. He unzipped his backpack and quickly pulled out his notebook and a pencil then placed his backpack neatly under his seat.

His head was pounding from the recent exercise, and he was finding it somewhat hard to focus. Mr. Garrison seemed to lecture on forever, prompting nothing but feelings of boredom from Stan. He allowed his head to rest gently on his pale hands. A moment later, under Stan's vision, he saw a white spec tap against his desk. He glanced over at his neighbor, the familiar Jewish boy whom he had known since childhood. Kyle looked towards the front of the classroom, pretending he didn't notice what had just happened.

Stan glanced at Kyle and slyly removed the paper from the desk. He unfolded the paper near his lap, being careful as to not be noisy when doing so. Stan skimmed the contents of the note.

"_Are you going to the festival tonight?" _Kyle had scribbled onto the note with his incredibly neat handwriting.

Stan glanced at Kyle and shrugged. Kyle saw this gesture from the corner of his eye and leaned slight towards Stan.

"You should go." Kyle whispered. "It should be fun."

"I don't know." Stan replied quietly, allowing himself to lean slightly as well. "Anything to do with school isn't exactly how I want to spend my night."

"Aww, cmon." Kyle pleaded. "It'll be fun, and you can go with me! It's more fun if you go with your friends!"

Stan sighed. 'Kyle is always trying to get me to go to things…'

Stan pondered over the idea for a moment, but he already had enough school for one day. It didn't help him that he felt somewhat embarrassed for showing up in the nick of time.

"I'm sorry Kyle, maybe next time." Stan said apologetically.

Kyle frowned, and went back to paying attention to class with a clear look of disappointment on his face. Stan instantly began to feel guilty. He knew Kyle valued their closeness with each other, Stan hoped he hadn't offended him.

'I hope he's not upset with me…' Stan thought guiltily.

Every few minutes during class Stan would glance over at Kyle to check on him. Every glance returned the same emotion, and the same look on Kyle's face. His deep hazel eyes shown utter disappointment. Stan honestly felt bad for denying Kyle's offer, but he really didn't want to dedicate himself to attend such an event. Though he had to admit, the look on Kyle's face was metaphorically killing him on the inside. He hated seeing his friend look so defeated.

The school bell rang and all of the kids all hopped out of their seats as the last class of the day had finally ended. Stan watched as Kyle silently packed his things up and briskly leave the room. Stan almost called out for Kyle, but something in his heart prevented him from doing so. Perhaps it was the uncertainty of Kyle's reaction. Stan honestly wasn't sure what to say.

"Stan!" The cute voice of Wendy sounded next to him. Stan jumped at the noise, and it snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Hey Wendy." Stan greeted his girlfriend.

Wendy smiled back at him. "So...would you like to go to the school festival tonight?" Wendy asked sweetly.

Stan rolled his eyes. "I already told Kyle I wouldn't go…"

Wendy leaned forward and hugged Stan's arm tightly. "Aww, please!" Wendy begged. She looked up at Stan with her deep blue eyes. Wendy blinked several times, trying to perfect her sad puppy technique.

'Why is everyone pressuring me to go?' Stan wondered. He let out an exasperated sigh.

"All right…I'll go…" Stan gave in.

"Yay!" Wendy said, wrapping her arms around Stan's waist.

"I'll see you there tonight." Wendy quickly pecked Stan on the cheek then walked away. Stan felt slightly woozy at her gesture, he rubbed his stomach gently, trying to sooth his nausea.

Even though it made him feel woozy, it wasn't as bad as it used to be.

**…**

'Hair tidy…face clear…' Stan took a few breaths and tilted his head a few times as he observed himself in the bathroom mirror. 'I have to make sure that Wendy thinks I look good tonight, I can't make any mistakes.'

Stan's mind reverted back to a few hours ago. He had phoned Kyle and apologized if he had seemed rude, though he admitted that he just wasn't in the mood. Kyle seemed OK with the fact that Stan naturally wasn't interested, but nonetheless appreciated that Stan would be attending with him, as well as Wendy. Wendy was going to meet Stan at the festival, and Kyle was going to walk over to the school with Stan. Within the next few minutes Kyle would be at Stan's house. Stan honestly felt a little nervous at Kyle coming over, but he was unsure why.

"Stan!" the raven jumped suddenly at his mother's voice. "Kyle's here! Come downstairs, love!" Stan sighed and gave himself one last look in the mirror, looking into his own blue eyes before leaving the bathroom. He walked along the upstairs hallway in his socks and descended the stairs, where he saw Kyle waiting for him. The redhead's hazel eyes connected with Stan's innocent blue eyes. Stan was lost for a moment as he descended, Kyle's eyes were truly beautiful. They seemed almost mystical in a way.

"Hey, Ky." Stan greeted his friend as he stepped off the bottom step. He held out a fist towards Kyle. The two bumped fists in unison, it was the ultimate friendly handshake.

"Ready, dude?" Kyle asked, gently using his index finger to push away a stray piece of his hair that was covering his eye.

"I guess so…" Stan said, trying his best not to sound too bored. Stan quickly stuffed his feet in his shoes, and began to walk towards the door when Kyle stopped him.

"Your shoe is untied." Kyle pointed out. Stan gazed down and saw that his best friend was right.

"Th-Thanks." Stan stuttered.

"Here, let me get it." Kyle offered. Kyle bent down on one knee and began working with Stan's shoelaces. Stan placed a hand against the wall, blushing slightly at Kyle's kindness. Kyle stood back up when he was finished and gave Stan a warm smile.

"Let's go!"

The two left Stan's home and began walking towards South Park elementary together. The sun was slowly setting in the distance, painting the sky with a light orange glow. Along the way, Stan noticed Kyle was unusually quiet. Typically the two could hit off conversation without any effort, but Stan was a bit worried he had offended Kyle.

"You know, Kyle…I'm really sorry if I offended you earlier…" Stan said remorsefully. "I hope I didn't hurt your feelings or anything, it's just honestly, school festivals aren't really my thing. I get sick of school every day, and it just doesn't appeal to me."

Kyle turned his head towards Stan, his hazel eyes glimmering. "That's OK, Stan. No hard feelings. Thank you for going with me anyway. I just wanted to spend some time with you."

"Don't worry, anything for my best friend." Stan said, forcing Kyle to smile a little.

The two continued along the streets of South Park towards the school, chattering about nothing too unnatural. Finally, South Park elementary came into view. Stan could see that in the parking lot, several cars were parked, and there were many booths and event tables set up, scattered around the pavement. Stan recognized some of his classmates partaking in the various activities: Bebe was having her face painted like a cheetah, Cartman was having his eyes painted similar to that of a raccoon. To the booth next to them, Kevin was making his own custom 'weapon,' which was really just a piece of cardboard painted a light green, similar to a light saber. Kyle chuckled next to Stan at the sight of it.

Seemingly out of nowhere, Stan saw his girlfriend running towards him from the crowd of people. He squinted his eyes for a moment, then noticed that she had something on her face. Upon closer inspection, Stan realized she had purple cat whiskers painted on her face.

"Stan!" she said sweetly, wrapping her arms tightly around him, but keeping her face away from his clothing. Stan quickly returned her embrace.

"Hey Wendy." Stan greeted her. "Y-Your face…" he stuttered.

Wendy smiled. "Stan, you have to come with me, they have Mr. Garrison in a dunk tank, and we need to get your face painted too so we can match!"

"What? No way!" Stan exclaimed.

"Let's go!" Wendy grabbed Stan's hand and pulled him away. As Wendy tugged Stan along, Stan glanced behind him, watching the Jewish boy. Kyle didn't follow him, but rather watch him with a look that made Stan unsure how his best friend felt. Stan felt guilt in the pit of his stomach watching his friend stand behind him, not moving a muscle to catch up to him.

"I'm so glad you're here!" Wendy said sweetly as she tugged Stan between groups of students and teachers. "I'm having so much fun already. You have to try to go dunk Mr. Garrison, you even get a prize if you win!"

"A prize?" Stan wondered. "What is it?"

Wendy shrugged. "I'm not sure, but it comes in a little mystery box."

"Mystery box? Probably something stupid…" Stan said cynically, squinting his eyes and looking away from Wendy.

"I really want to know what's in it." Wendy said excitedly. "Will you win for me, Stan?" she asked, gently squeezing Stan's hand tighter.

"All right." Stan agreed. "Lead me to the dunk tank."

Wendy led Stan towards the back of the parking lot, towards a large group of students that were huddled near each other. Stan eyed Mr. Garrison sitting inside the dunk tank, dry and smiling, as if their perverted teacher was laughing internally at his student's failure.

Wendy led Stan towards the single file line of students. Stan took his spot at the back of the line, awaiting his turn. He saw that there were three other's ahead of him: Butters, Clyde, and Craig. Mr. Adler walked over to Butters and placed a tennis ball in his hand. Butters aimed for the mark against the tarp next to the dunk tank: a little red button. Stan saw Butters stick his tongue out slightly, as if he was trying hard to concentrate. Butters threw the ball with all his might, but sadly it didn't even reach the tarp. The ball bounced on the ground feet away from the tarp. Butters blushed in embarrassment, it didn't help his case any since Clyde and some of the adults were trying to stifle their laughs. Butters walked away with a defeated look on his face.

"Come on Clyde, I'd like to see some action for once." Mr. Garrison taunted from inside the dunk tank. Stan raised an eyebrow as he saw Mr. Garrison reach into his pocket and pull out a nail file. He obnoxiously began working on his nails, uninterested in what Clyde was attempting. Clyde threw the ball towards the mark. It missed by a few inches and hit the tarp. Stan heard Clyde curse under his breath and walk away. Craig stepped up, ready to take on the challenge. Stan could tell he was trying not to act annoyed by Mr. Garrison's petty taunts.

"Craig? I'm surprised you're here. I didn't know you were allowed here, didn't you get into trouble?" Mr. Garrison asked half-seriously.

Craig shrugged. "Doesn't matter anyway...I'm still making this shot." Mr. Adler placed a ball in Craig's hand. Craig took a deep breath, then focused on the mark in front of him.

'I wonder if Craig will make it.' Stan wondered. Stan had secretly admired Craig for being so cool all the time. He honestly envied his personality. There was a dark part to Craig, Stan knew, but he was never able to talk to Craig and open up to him like he wanted to. Something about Craig had made him seem so reserved, and so cold…it almost frightened Stan a little bit. Perhaps that was why he didn't try to make an effort.

Craig cranked his arm backwards and threw the ball forward with seemingly little effort. The ball slapped against the mark, and Mr. Garrison splashed into the water beneath him.

'There goes my prize…' Stan thought sadly. 'Now Wendy is going to be disappointing at me for the rest of the night.' Though Stan soon realized that his fears were nothing. He had almost dropped his jaw when he saw Craig walk away casually, as if he didn't want the prize, or wasn't interested in the game anymore. Stan didn't object, however. He figured if he had a chance to the win the prize, he would do so. He was pressured enough by Wendy, he couldn't afford to lose now. Mr. Adler glanced at Craig in surprise.

"Don't you want the mystery box?" Mr. Adler called after Craig.

"Let whoever wins next take it." Craig said monotonously, walking away smoothly.

"All right…go on Stanley." Mr. Adler turned to Stan and placed a tennis ball in his hand.

Stan took a few deep breaths. 'OK…this is for Wendy…' he thought. 'I know!' Stan thought. 'If I win, I'll give the prize to Kyle. I'm sure he would appreciate it…'

Stan focused hard on the mark as Mr. Garrison climbed back up onto the platform.

"Let's see if you can dunk me like Craig, Stanley." Mr. Garrison prompted.

'All right…here we go…' Stan thought. Stan took one more breath before moving his arm backwards and throwing towards the mark on the wall. The tennis ball seemed to move in slow motion until Stan felt a strong relief when the ball hit the mark. Mr. Garrison fell into the water and Stan took a moment to digest what had just happened. He couldn't believe he had done it. He was instantly filled with happiness that his goal had been fulfilled.

"Yes!" Stan cheered for his own success.

"Do you want the mystery box?" Mr. Adler offered.

Stan nodded. "Yes, I do." Mr. Adler walked over to a nearby booth and talked with Principal Victoria, who reached underneath the wooden booth and pulled out a small wooden box.

"Good job, Stanley." She called from the booth. Stan waved and smiled.

"Here you are." Mr. Adler congratulated Stan, placing the small, wooden box in his hands.

"Open it up, see what's inside!" Wendy urged Stan, suddenly hugging his arm. Stan couldn't resist, his curiosity was getting the better of him.

"All right…" Stan said. He swallowed, nervous about what would be inside the box. He wanted it to be something that he thought Kyle would like. He opened it up, and his face immediately turned red.

"W-What?" Stan blushed. His face was extremely red, he felt his head was going to explode at the sight of his prize.

"Oh…my gosh…" Wendy said, a smile coming to her face. "It's..it's perfect!" Wendy reached into the box and placed the prize on top of Stan's head.

"Why me…" Stan muttered with his new 'prize' atop his head. He felt the fuzziness of the cat ears on top of his head.

"They are soooo cute!" Wendy exclaimed excitedly. She reached up towards Stan's head and gently squeezed his ears. Stan's face was extremely red in embarrassment. He didn't expect the 'grand prize' to be a pair of cat ears.

"We match!" Wendy said adorably.

Stan looked away from Wendy. 'Maybe I can give these stupid things to Ky-' Stan paused as he looked into the distance. He noticed Kyle and Cartman laughing together, a sight he'd never expected would happen. Stan was almost instantly filled with jealousy. He was protective of Kyle, and generally didn't like seeing him around other people, especially ones he personally disliked.

"Hey Wendy." Stan told his girlfriend. "I need to go talk to Kyle."

Wendy shrugged. "I need to talk to Bebe anyway. Go ahead."

Stan began walking towards Kyle. 'Why is he hanging out with Cartman all of a sudden?' he wondered. 'That's one of the last things I'd expect him to do.'

Cartman prodded Kyle's side and muttered some insult. Kyle jumped at his own ticklishness, trying not to act overly disturbed at Cartman's gesture.

"Kyle!" Stan called for him. Kyle turned to him with his beautiful eyes.

"Stan…" Kyle greeted him expectantly, noticing the ears on Stan's head.

"I won the so called 'prize.'" Stan explained. He plucked the cat ears off his own head and put them right on top of Kyle's hat. Stan wouldn't lie, he thought Kyle looked absolutely adorable with the ears on his head.

"Hey Kyle…" Stan began. "I have something I want to show you…Let's get out of here, this school festival is kind of lame…"

"Sure." Kyle agreed. "But first, I need to get some cotton candy."

"Will do." Stan agreed. The least he could do was honor Kyle's request. Cartman looked between Stan and Kyle, then shook his head. Eric quickly reached into his back pocket then placed another pair of cat ears on top of Stan's head. Stan blushed as he gazed at Kyle. The two boys were wearing cat ears, matching as if they were a couple.

"Fags." Cartman giggled before walking away.

"Screw him." Kyle said, secretly giving Cartman a middle finger as he walked away. Stan and Kyle walked through the festival together, through the crowds of students. They approached a booth where Pete was working.

"Do you conformists want some cotton candy?" he asked boringly.

"I guess?" Kyle responded. Kyle had always felt that Pete was sarcastic, and didn't particularly like his attitude.

"Fine." Pete replied. Stan waited for a moment, then raised an eyebrow when Pete handed him black colored cotton candy.

"Have fun, conformists." Pete told the two boys.

Stan and Kyle gripped their cotton candy and faced each other.

"OK, Stan." Kyle started. "What did you want to show me?"

"Follow me." Stan invited Kyle. "It'll be worth it, I promise."

The two boys left the school parking lot and left the festival behind them. The sun was slowly setting in the distance. The sky was now a dark orange color, but it wouldn't be long before the sun set and darkness would envelope South Park yet again.

Stan led Kyle towards a thicket of trees in the distance.

"Where are we going?" Kyle asked along the way.

"To a familiar place." Stan responded. He couldn't wait to show Kyle what he had planned. He had secretly planned this since class earlier that day. He had felt bad for denying Kyle his happiness, and wanted to make it up to him.

As the sun descended in the sky, Stan led Kyle through the deep woods to an ever familiar place: Stark's Pond. The waters gently lapped the shore as a light breeze swirled through the two boy's hair. Stan and Kyle sat down at the bench, overlooking the pond.

"What's so special about this place?" Kyle asked. "I've been here several times."

"Just wait." Stan instructed.

About half an hour passed as the boys made small talk and enjoyed their cotton candy. Soon enough, the sun had descended and the sky became black once more. A few stars twinkled in the sky, reflecting into the waters of Stark's Pond.

"Stan, I don't really see wh-"Kyle froze on his words when he saw the beauty of what Stan was trying to show him. All around Stan and Kyle, green lightning bugs lit up in the night. They swarmed around the air, making the area seem almost dreamy. The late night breeze made the trees chatter gently, with a few red and orange leaves flying through the air. With the dim sparkling of the stars in the pond waters, and the lightning bugs, along with the trees gently swaying around them, Kyle was instantly filled with happiness. He had enjoyed nature, a secret trait Stan had found out about him awhile back. Stan knew this was unlike anything Kyle had ever seen. It was beautiful, pure, and scenic.

"This is what I wanted to show you." Stan explained. "I wanted to see you happy...I hope you've had a good day until now...I hope I didn't ruin anything..." Stan looked at his feet nervously.

"Hey Stan, why don't you come sit with me near the shore?" Kyle offered, ignoring Stan's apology. Kyle stood up and held his hand towards Stan. Stan looked up at his eyes, gently glimmering in the night.

"Of course." Stan accepted with a smile. He gently placed his hand in Kyle's, and together, the two walked towards the pond. The leaves gently swirled around them as they walked downhill together. Kyle's hand felt warm and soft in Stan's, he had never felt this close to his best friend before.

"It's really a pret-woah!" Stan exclaimed as he tripped on something. To Stan's surprise, his fall had pulled not only himself to the ground, but he somehow find himself on top of Kyle. Somehow the cat ears had remained on both of the boys. Stan's face was merely inches away from Kyle's. The raven's face instantly lit up with a fierce redness, he hoped Kyle couldn't see in the darkness. Stan returned his gaze to Kyle, and noticed, that in this light, on this very night, Kyle's eyes were more beautiful than anything Stan had ever seen. His eyes seemed dreamy, like something he wanted to look at forever. Kyle was a true masterpiece, something Stan had never noticed much before.

"Kyle…" Stan said, gently placing a hand against Kyle's cheek, looking deeply into his pupils. "You really do have beautiful eyes..." he admitted, his heart slowly beating faster in his chest.

Kyle blushed and avoided Stan's gaze, looking at the water.

"Not as nice as yours." He complemented Stan, his gaze still averted.

"I'm sorry, Kyle...I know I'm clumsy." Stan apologized, about to get off of Kyle.

Stan never expected Kyle to reach up and firmly grip his wrist.

"No, I'm fine where I'm at." Kyle said, looking at Stan with a strange expression. "I'm fine with you here, just stay with me…please." Kyle asked.

Stan agreed. "Alright…"

Stan allowed himself to lay on the grass next to Kyle and gently hug him from the side. He could smell Kyle's shampoo in his hair. He smelled so fresh, Stan didn't want to let Kyle go, ever.

'Mountain breeze...' Stan identified the scent. Stan gently leaned in towards Kyle and rested his head against his chest. The slight breeze made Kyle's hair gently sway in the wind. Stan gazed around him, watching the lightning bugs swarm around them. The night was perfect.

Stan closed his eyes, allowing himself to ease into Kyle's chest. Through Kyle's shirt, Stan could hear his heartbeat. It soothed Stan, and allowed him to feel safer than ever with his best friend. Stan's eyes felt heavy, and he allowed himself to fall asleep, in the comfort of Kyle's presence.

It was the best night he had ever had.

**…**

The slapping of the waves made Stan snap back to the present. The sun was slowly setting, turning the sky a dim purplish color.

'Kyle…' Stan gripped the rails of the ship firmly. 'When I find you again, I'm going to tell you about how I really feel…even if that means…'

A strong gust of wind picked up, threatening Stan to continue his thoughts.

'Even if it means you won't like what I have to say…' Stan thought. The breeze continued, swaying Stan's hair.

**...**

**Elsewhere...**

Snow slowly fell downwards from a grey sky. A boy sat on top of a clock tower, watching over the city by night. The ocean in the distance was calm. He stared in one direction, unknowingly facing towards his old friend. He squinted his eyes.

'He's coming here, isn't he?'


	51. CT: Wendy's Awakening - Part III

**_Author's Note:_**_Hello again, fellow South Park shippers! I've finally finished the next chapter in the arc. Only a few more chapters to go until we get to the new arc, too! Sorry about the long delay, school has been extremely busy for me and I wanted to make an action packed chapter like this one good. I hope it will be worth everyone's wait! Thank you all for your loyalty and dedication, and have fun with this next chapter! I'll try to update as soon as I can to finish up this arc. _

_As a special note, I started working on this FanFiction around the same time last year. So happy one year anniversary to the fic! *streamers everywhere*_

Enjoy! :)

Chapter 51 – Wendy's Awakening – Part III

**POV: **Craig Tucker

Regardless of the past, Craig knew that time was still flowing. Even now, as he stared death in the face, he kept his composure. The energy he had longed for since his fight with Trent was surging through his body once more. Craig's eyes widened in shock when Wendy's body suddenly disappeared in front of him. It seemed as if Wendy had suddenly evaporated in mid-air. Craig had to take a brief moment to digest what had just happened. Upon realization that Wendy was truly gone, panic began surging through Craig.

The dark figure quickly stopped his running and skidded an inch along the ground. He leaned slightly backwards, then pressed his feet against the ground. He gracefully glided through the air, his chain clanging lightly with the wind and his dagger lightly shining under the gray skies. He landed on the ground like a feather, making no noise as far as Craig could here.

"What did you do with Wendy?" Craig angrily eyed the hooded figure in front of him. "Tell me now…and maybe I'll spare you your life…" Craig squinted his blood red eyes.

"Perhaps I made her disappear off the face of this Earth. No telling where she could be now…" The hooded figure beamed his eyes back at Craig. Craig could imagine the figure smirking underneath his cloth mask. It burned him to the very core that somebody may have tried hurting the one he loved.

Craig furrowed his eyebrows. His rich, red eyes expressed pure hatred. His irises' almost seemed like red hot flames. He felt nothing but pure malice towards this mysterious being.

'I don't know what the actual outcome of this fight will be…but I need to be careful' Craig thought back to the time he fought Trent in the alleyway. He was so sure he would win, but Trent had proved to have more strength, and complete power over Craig. Craig remembered how Trent gripped his throat, and he felt his power seeping away from him.

'No matter what, I have to try my best not to get hit…if I become too injured…my power could disappear again…And I know one thing…If this guy did that to Wendy just now, I need to make sure to take him alive so I know how to get her back…This won't be easy…I need to analyze him carefully…'

Craig slowly spread his feet on the grass, and focused on the dark person in front of him. He carefully examined all their noticeable attributes: their clothing, eyes, and stance. Craig was most curious about the silver chains hanging from the neck of his opponent.

'I haven't seen him use those yet…does he use those to fight at all?' Craig wondered. 'I need to keep a close eye on them and find out what they're for…'

"Would you hurry up?" the figure taunted. "Or do you not care about your friend?"

Craig grinned at the figure's taunt.

A gust of wind suddenly picked up, swaying the grass around Craig. He closed his eyes for a split second.

'Focus…I need to do this not just for myself…but for Wendy too…I can't afford to lose here…'

Craig opened his eyes once more. The wind rattled the branches of the trees around him and created gentle, lapping waves from Stark's Pond. The wind gently settled, then Craig finally spoke.

"Let's go!"

In an instant Craig and the figure charged for each other. As Craig approached the figure, he noticed the figure pull his arm back, prepared to punch.

'There's his first mistake!' Craig thought.

The figure swung a punch at Craig. Craig ducked underneath the blow and stowed an incredible amount of force in his arm.

'Now!' Craig thought as he swung his punch at the figure's gut.

Suddenly, the figure disappeared from in front of Craig. Craig stumbled forward a few steps, astonished the figure had disappeared so quickly.

"You're still weak, I see. My associate was right about you." Craig widened his eyes as he realized the voice sounded like it was directly behind him. He quickly turned around and saw the sinister red eyes of his attacker just inches from his face.

'What?! How?!' Craig wondered, shocked. He watched as the figure quickly swooped up his right leg and kicked Craig hard against the chest. Upon impact, Craig couldn't believe the force behind his opponent's blow. Craig flew a few feet through the air and landed ungracefully on the ground with a loud thud. His chest was instantly shot with pain. He clutched at his abdomen as he tried to sit up. Craig huffed a few times, noticing that the figure remained stationary in front of him.

'What kind of power was that?' Craig wondered. 'How did he move so fast?'

"Are you even going to try to fight?" the figure teased. "From where I'm standing, you're just sitting helplessly on the ground. It's inevitable, stop trying to fight."

Craig gritted his teeth in frustration.

"I'm just getting started!" Craig yelled as he stumbled to get up, trying his best to ignore the now dull pain in his chest. Craig took a moment to recover and planted his feet firmly on the ground, his balance regained once more. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the next bout of fighting.

'Go!' Craig signaled himself.

He began sprinting for the dark figure once more. He was grateful that his feet allowed him to run faster than normal. It made him feel like he had become even greater than an athlete, without the rigorous training.

'I have to keep an eye out for this guy and see if he disappears like that again…' Craig thought as he approached his opponent. When most of the gap was closed in between the two fighters, Craig made a daring leap off the ground, tilting his body forward in the process. He performed a front-flip and slammed a foot down on top of the figure. The strange fellow put an arm in the path of Craig's blow, avoiding damage. A moment later, the ground underneath the dark figure burst, making a fissure in the ground and spitting up dirt, grass, and small rocks. Craig noticed the figure underneath him appeared to struggle with his balance for a second. Craig swiftly adjusted his leg and kicked against the figures arm, disengaging from contact with him. When Craig landed, he skidded across the ground, leaving an obvious trail of impact on the ground. The figure remained still again, glaring at Craig behind his cloth mask.

"You have some power, but you have much to learn." The figure lectured. "It won't be long for you though, we'll make this quicker…"

Craig suddenly noticed a glint of silver appear from the figures sleeve.

'His knife again!' Craig identified the weapon.

The figure dashed forward with an incredible speed. Craig readied himself, studying the figure's movements with his eyes. The figure raised his arm high in the air as he approached Craig, preparing to slice Craig's body down the middle.

'He's going to make a vertical slice…' Craig thought quickly. The next moment, the figure did as Craig expected: he sliced the knife down towards Craig's head. Craig suddenly sidestepped the figure's blow and quickly responded with a punch aimed for the figures chest.

Craig didn't expect to hit air yet again. The figure flashed away from Craig, making Craig's attack useless. Craig suddenly felt a presence behind him. His eyes widened in horror, he wanted to scream.

"Strike one." The figure bet, slashing at Craig without hesitation.

'Damn it!' Craig thought frustratingly. Craig quickly twisted his body around and pressed his feet as hard as he could against the ground. His force led him to fall back about five feet, briefly skidding along the ground once more.

"I have to admit, you're quite agile." The figure observed, once again remaining unmoving.

'What's with this guy?' Craig wondered. 'He attacks…then quickly teleports as soon as I go for a blow…If that's what he's doing…wait a minute…' Craig remembered just a moment ago when the figure pulled out his knife. 'I need to pay attention to when he uses that knife…it seems as if he teleports immediately after he tries to stab with it, even if he misses…so the trick to beating him might be to simply dodge, and if he teleports, land a blow against him from behind. I have to come up with something he won't expect…'

The figure's knife glimmered slightly, turning into a bright silver. Craig carefully watched the figure slowly walk towards him. In the figures hand, the knife seemed to dissolve into multiple particles, as if the figure no longer wanted it at the moment.

"It's futile, you should just give up already…" the figure mused.

"I'm not giving up…until you're lying on the ground dead." Craig threatened, even though he still remembered he needed to leave him alive so he could question them.

"What is this?" the figure taunted. Once again he pulled his knife out from his sleeve. "You're words lead to empty promises. Craig Tucker, I'm now going to prove to you…just how worthless your words truly are…"

Suddenly, Craig noticed the knife reappear in the figures right hand once more.

Wordlessly, the figure began running for Craig. Craig prepared his stance so that he could be able to dodge the figure, but prepare himself for a follow-up attack if need be. Craig watched the figure hold the knife out to his side, and slightly twist his wrist.

'I know how he's going to attack this time…' Craig assured himself. Craig's assumption was correct: the figure made a horizontal slice towards Craig's throat. Craig leaned back slightly, just barely avoiding the metal.

'Now!' Craig assumed. To Craig's luck, the figure disappeared from his sight yet again. Craig quickly turned around and tried to kick the figure sideways. The figure raised his arm to block Craig's blow. Craig quickly pulled his leg back. He took a few steps back from the figure, noticing he was still once more.

'That's another thing…he seems to remain still quite often after attacking…' Craig observed. He took a few steps back, waiting for the figure to move. To Craig's amusement, the figure didn't move at all for a few seconds.

"Now. I make you bleed." The figure threatened. Craig's eyes widened as the figure suddenly raised his arm above his head then brought it back down with staggering force. Craig watched as the silver flew directly for his chest.

'Damn!' Craig thought. He quickly twisted his body sideways, hoping to avoid the blow entirely.

To his dismay, Craig's shoulder began stinging less than a second later. He saw a few droplets of blood fly in front of him as the knife partially sliced his shoulder. He grunted in pain and gripped his shoulder. He pulled his hand away, and noticed it was covered in sickly red blood.

"We're not done yet." Craig jumped when he suddenly saw a glint of silver appear from the corner of his eye. He looked to his right to see the knife flying back towards him, in the direction of the figure, who held his hand in air, patiently awaiting for his knife to return.

'What the hell? It's like a boomerang!' Craig was too slow to react in time to the knife. Once more, the figure was successful in landing another blow and the knife sliced Craig's other shoulder, seemingly symmetrical to his other wound. Craig's arms stung as he observed the knife fly back into the figures hand. He slowly lowered his arm, keeping his knife a slight distance from his body. The tip of it was dripping in Craig's blood.

Craig began to feel lightheaded. He stumbled and landed on his knees, clutching both of his shoulders with his hands. His newer wound was stinging, Craig had to fight the urge to remain on the ground and just clutch his wounds.

'Come on Craig…focus! I remember when I attacked him…' Craig recalled running up to the figure and trying to kick him. He pictured the way the figure used his arm to block Craig's blow. He had seemed to lose his balance, but not receive any pain from the blow.

'It's like his body is made of metal…my attack hardly affected him' Craig wondered.

Blood trickled down Craig's arm and welled at his fingertips. The blood dropped onto the lush green grass beneath him, staining the strands with a dark red color.

"I told you I would make you bleed, and I'll do it again so long as you continue to fight me." The figure urged. "There's no use in trying to defeat me. If you surrender, I'll be on my way."

'This guy is full of himself…' Craig thought, still clutching his injured shoulders. 'He seems to be really fast in close combat…I wonder if there's a way I could engage him from a distance…'

The thought prompted an idea in Craig's head. 'Wait a minute…?' Craig remembered when he fought Trent in the alleyway in order to save Wendy. He recalled shooting sparks from his eyes, similar to several years ago during the Pandemic incident.

'How did I make that happen?' Craig wondered. 'Wait…I somewhat remember the circumstances…I was surrounded by sparks…and after that I felt like I could use my eyes to display my anger…but how did I get to that point? What were the circumstances leading up to that…and how is my current power different from that time…?' Craig wondered. 'Has anything possibly changed?'

The figure slowly stepped towards Craig, its malicious eyes glaring at Craig, still sitting on the ground.

"You'll make a fine subject for our leader." Craig could see the seriousness in the figures eyes.

'Leader?!' Craig thought. 'There's more guys like this one? What the hell is happening to South Park?'

Craig immediately glanced around him. He needed to find some sort of way he could get close to the figure, without putting his own life in danger. The most noticeable attribute of the land around him were the trees just a few yards away from him, as well as Stark's Pond a few feet next to him.

'How can I use anything around me?' Craig wondered. He raised an eyebrow. 'I have an idea.'

Craig grunted as he struggled to stand up off the ground.

"What's this?" the figure mused.

"Hey you…" Craig gritted his teeth as he stood up, pain shot through his shoulder. Craig huffed and raised his head. "Take a walk with me."

"Wha-? The figure wondered, confused.

Craig grinned slightly. He quickly got up and turned towards the woods. He glanced behind him as he ran, waiting for the figure to teleport or throw his knife yet again. Craig saw the figure running after him.

"Get back here!" the figure exclaimed, slightly annoyed.

Craig saw the figure throw his knife once more. Craig observed it coming straight for his face in what seemed like slow motion. He diverted his head from the knife's path. It barely scratched the side of his face, making a small slit in Craig's cheek. The dagger then proceeded to fly into the woods. Craig heard a satisfying thump as the figure's knife hit the tree in the distance.

'Now, look ahead!'

Craig moved his gaze away from his attacker and glanced in front of him yet again. As Craig had predicted, the figure was in front of him once again.

Craig smiled. 'Just as I thought…Now this is where I test him…'

Craig noticed the figure pulled out yet another knife from his sleeve. The attacker pushed his knife forward, trying to lunge his knife into Craig's heart.

'Now!' Craig ordered himself. Craig leaned his body backwards, getting lower than the path of the knife. The figures lunge went just over Craig's face. He could see the silver metal flying just past his eyes as he dodged the attack. Craig quickly gripped the figures wrist firmly.

'Now, use your strength!' Craig thought.

Craig quickly stood up and heaved the figure with all his might towards a nearby tree. When the figures body came into contact with the tree, a crunching noise was made. To Craig's shock at his own power, the tree in which the figure came into contact with instantly split in half and fell over with a loud thud. The figure kneeled on the ground, with one arm extended over his knee. Craig could hear him huffing slightly.

"Now it's my turn!" Craig yelled as he ran for the figure. To Craig's surprise, his opponent didn't resist. Craig kicked the figure hard in the side, noticing a few droplets of blood floating through the air after impact. The figure quickly stood back up, still huffing slightly.

"I seriously didn't think I'd have to use this…seems the rumors about you were true…time to put a stop to you…"

Craig noticed the figure raise both of his hands in the air.

"Come to my aid, chains of fate." The figure chanted.

The chains around the figures neck clanged together wildly. The chain flew off the figures neck and landed in both of his hands. Craig saw an aura begin to glow from the chains. They varied between colors. Craig noticed the color pattern to the chain: they would glow red, and then blue, and repeat again in brief intervals.

"What the hell?" Craig said out loud. He jumped backwards a few feet.

Craig watched in horror as the figure's chain began glowing an even darker red.

"Let's see how you like this…" Craig watched as the figure took one end of the chain with both hands. The figure raised the chain above him with one swoop then brought the chain down hard on the ground right next to Craig. It left a straight, deep fissure in the ground. The wind from the blow made Craig almost lose his balance.

The chain quickly retracted back towards the figure. It seemed to float in mid-air. Craig couldn't believe what he was seeing. It looked like pure magic, the kind of thing he felt many wanted to believe in, but could never be possible. But here was, fighting someone who seemed to have odd, mystical powers.

'This is bad…' Craig thought. 'This is really, really bad…'


	52. CT: Wendy's Awakening - Part IV

_**Author's Note:** Hi everyone! Sorry for the late release, university had really taken it's toll on me and most of my time had been spent doing homework or sleeping. But now that the quarter is over, I plan on finishing up this arc by next week :) This chapter took me awhile to get creative on, I had to write a few drafts before I finally came up with something that stuck with me. This is honestly one of my favorite chapters since Chapter 10. I really hope that you all enjoy this, I've worked very hard on it and I'd love to hear your feedback as the story is changing gears at this point. In just a few more chapters, we'll come to an even bigger point in the series, Stan's quest arc, which I'm going to guess you can probably figure what that's about._

_Thank you for your patience, lots of love to you all! 3_

Chapter 52- Wendy's Awakening – Part IV

**POV: **Craig Tucker

A few strains of grass beneath Craig Tucker had turned scarlet from the blood dripping down his arm. The blood welled at Craig's fingertips, the deep, rich red liquid felt sticky against his skin. Craig thought for a few moments, he could almost smell his own blood. He gripped his left shoulder with his right hand, wetting his hand with his own blood. Sweat rolled down Craig's face. His face felt hot and sticky from the moisture. Above him, the sky was slowly turning darker, as if rain would fall at any moment. Craig hadn't realized the toll his efforts had taken on his body. He was aching, tired, and felt like his energy had slowly been drained away. It had almost seemed as if even though he was granted extraordinary powers, his body was still quite human.

Craig didn't understand this power he was using. To him, the whole situation was shrouded in mystery. He didn't know about who he was, why he was gifted this power, if he would consider a gift at all. The dark figure gave him further questions about what was happening around South Park. Something sinister and dark was lurking in his hometown, but Craig couldn't fathom the purpose, nor the situation he was in. He felt as if his life was slowly turning into an even darker time in life. Little did he know, this was definitely the case.

Craig was panting and trying to catch his breath as he watched the figure in front of him. The dark figure's shiny silver chain rattled rapidly, sending Craig into an alerted state. Craig watched as a red aura surrounded not only the chain itself, but its wielder as well. Craig watched as the hooded man raised the chain above his head once more, preparing to strike once more.

'You've got to move, Craig! Maintain some distance…' Craig tried to think calmly. He couldn't allow his fear to show, not here when his own life was on the line. Craig quickly stood up and began stumbling away from the figure.

"Not so fast." The figure taunted. Craig glanced behind him as he limped away to see the figure's chain swoop towards the Earth's surface. Upon impact with the ground, a strong gust of wind blew towards Craig's face, sending his messy black hair flying in all directions. The Earth had cracked beneath him. The fissure left by the chain seemed to be growing towards Craig. The figure quickly raised the chain once more and slammed it on the ground. This time, however, the gust of wind was so powerful that Craig had to fight to maintain his balance. When the wind became too strong for him to maintain equilibrium, Craig stumbled slightly. He lost his balance and scraped his right hand on a small pebble. He winced at the slight stinging feeling in his palm. He clutched his new wound with his left hand.

'I wonder how much blood I've lost…' Craig wondered. His head was throbbing, and he was starting to feel slightly lightheaded. He didn't know how much longer he could keep this up.

'Damn it…' Craig cursed as he tried to stand up. He wobbled upwards, noticing the lightheaded feeling was increasing as he made an effort to regain his composure. He pressed firmly against one foot and managed to stand up straight once more. The figure still clutched the chain in his hand, waiting patiently to make his next move.

"I envy you for attempting to fight me, I really do. You actually managed to land a punch against me. I haven't had that happen since several years ago. I give you credit for actually putting up a decent fight, but I'm afraid you're still hopeless in this situation." The figure complimented.

The figure's chain rattle once more.

"I'm afraid I don't know where your friend went off to." The figure explained. "She seemed to have just disappeared off the face of the Earth. I'm afraid I don't know nothing about that. No matter though, it won't matter to you anyway, you'll be dead soon enough, anyway." The figure slowly began walking confidently towards Craig.

Craig looked down towards the ground, gritting his teeth and trying his best to hide his frustration. He felt as if he was going to cry, he had never felt this angry before. Never in his entire life had he felt so defeated. He wanted nothing more than to do something he felt wouldn't make him feel useless.

'If I die here…is it really the end of the world?' Craig looked up towards the sky as the figure slowly approached.

'Can I really accomplish anything?' It always seems that I'm the one who's being defeated…' Craig noticed his hands were shaking rapidly.

'Damn it…of all times…my heroin withdrawal is kicking in….How have I fallen this far though? Why did I take heroin in the first place? I'm sure Wendy wouldn't want that…I guess I only used it because I felt it made me feel better….but if anything…that was a false reality. The reality is, the girl I love broke up with me…my dad is still abusive and probably wants me dead…my only pet isn't here anymore…and I'm not sure how Tweek feels about me…how am I supposed to make something of myself if I keep running from the truth…' Craig pondered all of this.

'I don't know what's happening to South Park lately…I'm not sure who this man is…" Craig raised his head to look into the figure's blood red eyes, just a few yards away from him.

'What sort of evil has come here? Who are these people, if they are people at all…and what do they want? What is their goal…? And why would they attack me? What have I done for them to come after me?'

Craig released the grip from his hand and clutched his scraped hand into a tight fist. He held his fist out towards the figure. Blood dripped between his fingers and towards the ground.

"You know. I'm not sure what makes people like you exist in the first place. I don't know where in your life you decided to become so hateful and disgusting. I can only say one thing to you though…"

"Oh?" The figure paused his movement for a moment, observing Craig.

"I'll die if it means protecting the ones I care about!" Craig's fist was shaking as he uttered those words.

"How bold of you." The figure stated. "If you mean to die here, all I can do is accommodate you." The figure shrugged.

Craig's determination had given him newfound energy. It wasn't much, but it was enough to motivate him to keep fighting.

'I'm never running away!' Craig thought.

'I need to protect those who I love. Wendy…my mother…my sister….everyone who means something to me….I'll never let harm come their way. I don't know who these people are or what they want, but they damned sure aren't touching those I care about…'

Craig glared into the figure's eyes.

"I want to ask you something." Craig prompted.

"Oh?" the figure mused.

"I want to know, I've seen another like you before…." Craig remembered the night a few months ago when Wendy had been assaulted by another dark figure in the alleyway downtown. He couldn't remember much about that night, mostly just the sinister figure out for Wendy's blood. Wendy may have died if Craig hadn't appeared at the right moment.

"If you're so confident you'll kill me. I want you to answer a question I have. Tell me, what is it you want?" Craig asked. "Why all this bloodshed and hatred? Is it towards me? Wendy? Or do you just hate South Park for some reason?"

The figure shrugged. "I don't question my orders."

'Orders?' Craig wondered. 'Who is he taking orders from?'

The figure's chain rattled slightly.

"Enough of this…let's continue where we left off, shall we?" the figure began walking towards Craig once more. Craig's heart was pounding as he prepared himself for another bout with the figure.

'Stay focused, Craig…you can't allow yourself to lose here…' Craig took a deep breath, planted his feet firmly on the ground and posed, ready to attack or defend against the figure as necessary. When the figure continue walking towards Craig, Craig pressed his feet against the ground and charged towards the figure.

As Craig charged for the figure, he also began to increase his speed. To Craig, it almost felt like slow motion as the two ran for each other, preparing to clash once more. Craig's body ached from his efforts, but he forced himself to continue onward. The pain made him feel alive and alert.

When the two met each other, they began to clash. Craig threw a punch towards the figure, he dodged his blow by sidestepping quickly. The figure gripped his chain tightly and swung it sideways towards Craig's head. Craig ducked and felt a strong gust from the chain, which had just missed Craig's head, blow through his hair. Craig swung a kick sideways, the figure put up an arm to block Craig's attack. Craig was surprised when the figure didn't even stumble at the blow, it seemed as if he had become stronger since wielding his chain.

Craig could sense the figure smirking underneath his mask. The figure threw his chain high into the air and Craig noticed to glints of silver eject from the figure's sleeves. The figure began slashing at Craig, Craig carefully noted the muscle movements of the figure, dodging the individual slashes. As the figure lunched for Craig, Craig ducked then swiftly punched up towards the figure's arm. The figure released his grip on the knife, sending it flying into the air.

Craig quickly leaped off the ground directly in front of the figure and swung his leg sideways towards the figures head. The chain the figure wielded instantly turned blue and stiffened itself straight into the air, blocking Craig's hit. Craig felt a jolt of pain at how hard the chain was. It had seemed like it had stiffened and hardened to the texture of a rock. He winced and kicked his other foot against the chain, just lightly enough to get away a few feet. This was what Criag was planning for, however.

As the gravity pulled the airborne knife towards the Earth, Craig gripped the knife with his hand, then threw it towards the figure's face. The figure, unexpecting of the attack, attempted to dodge the knife. Craig grinned when he saw the knife skim the figure's shoulder. He heard the figure grunt very lightly, as if he had felt the smallest bit of pain. Craig skidded along the ground as he landed and leaned forward, trying to stop his movement and regain his balance. He finally stopped sliding along the ground, planting himself a few yards away from the figure.

'His chain has turned to colors now…I'm assuming he uses Red for attack… and blue for defense…' Craig deduced. 'That makes enough sense to me…but how am I supposed to attack him? If I had the abilities like I did that night Wendy was attacked…where I fired sparks from my eyes, I could attack him from a distance, but I can't seem to figure out how to earn that ability again…it feels like I'm missing something…I can't recall much about that night…I know that Wendy was attacked…she left…and then…'

Craig's lips stiffened as he thought about what had happened next.

'My best friend died…' for the briefest moment, it seemed as if the entire world had gone silent. His best friend's death had definitely taken him by surprise. Clyde's sacrifice had ultimately saved his life, from someone very similar to the figure Craig was fighting now.

'If this guy is thinking about doing to Wendy what that other one did to Clyde…'

Without Craig noticing, his eyes became a darker red color than they currently were. They seemed to have the texture of waves, light and dark shades flowing throughout his irises. Craig slowly felt a power surge through him. Craig felt a jolting feeling in his right hand. He stared down at his palm.

'What? Why now?' Craig wondered.

Craig stared at his hand, noticing sparks rapidly surrounding his forefinger. He felt the energy travel down his finger, to his palm, then spreading to his other fingers, and up into his arm. The jolting feeling spread to his chest, his other arm, and into his lower body.

'I don't really understand what's happen- 'Craig's eyes widened mid-thought. Memories flooded back into him. He felt like he knew how to use this power, but couldn't remember having any prior explanation or training. In his mind, Craig cycled through all of his current abilities. They were things he had never remembered using before, but felt like he was familiar with them. It was as if he had been trained a long time ago, but couldn't remember who had done so.

"Interesting…" the figure observed, amused. "It seems as if you've awakened your power once more. You're still young, but at least you'll make this fight more interesting."

Sparks surged throughout Craig's body. He could hear the crackling of electricity all around him.

'This bastard is about to be surprised.' Craig thought with upmost malice. 'Not to mention, there are enough disgusting people in this world…' Craig pictured his father in his mind. 'It'd be better for everyone if these people were dead…' Craig grinned slightly at the figure, unmoving.

'This increase in power…It almost makes me…want to kill…' Craig felt his bloodlust growing. 'I can't help but want to see this figure, lying on the ground, bleeding all over…'

As he spoke those words in his mind, Craig walked towards the figure without hesitation.

"Hmm?" the figure wondered, surprised. "What are you doing?"

Craig walked towards the figure with malicious eyes, not saying a word. His footsteps were the only sound that surrounded Stark's Pond as Craig approached.

"Very well, then. You'll receive no final words." The figure stated confidently. The hooded man's chain rattled once more, glowing a familiar red aura. The figure raised the chain high above his head. Craig watched as the figure waited patiently for Craig to come into range. Craig looked up at the chain without fear.

"You aren't planning to hit me with that, are you?" Craig teased.

The figure remained silent. When Craig took a step that would allow the figure to smack his chain towards his body, the figure heaved the chain downwards to Craig's head. Craig stared up at the chain as it came closer to him.

"Hmph…" Craig huffed with a grin.

As the figure's chain was mere inches away from Craig's body, it stopped. Thin strips of electricity had blocked the figure's chain, forming a wall and protecting Craig from harm. The electricity surged through the chain and the figure's body jolted as the electricity entered his body. He quickly released the chain from his grasp, and it dropped down towards Craig's feet. The figure took a few steps back, squinting his eyes.

"What are you?!" the figure asked angrily. Craig sensed a taste of fear in the man's question.

"I'm your angel of death." Craig grinned. "You haven't seen anything yet…I'm just getting started with you…"

Without hesitation and without another thought, Craig used his knowledge of fighting to begin his assault on the figure.

'Lightning speed…'

Craig gathered the electricity in his feet, then pressed his shoes against the ground. As Craig's feet left the ground, sparks ejected from his feet, leaving small holes in the ground. Craig sent himself flying forward in the direction his attacker with extreme speed. Craig flew through the air and gathered electric energy in his palm.

Craig could feel the increasing anger he was storing behind his punch. As he threw an attack at the figure, the figure chuckled slightly. Craig watched as the dark man's body seemed to morph into a thin shadow and disappear quickly.

'He's behind me again, I know he is.' Craig assumed.

'In that case…' Craig thought. He extended both of his hands in front of him, then grinned.

'Let's see how he likes this. Wall!'

Craig put his hands close together, his palms facing in front of him. He quickly spread them apart. A few feet in front of him, a thin, blue wall of electricity formed what appeared to be a thin vertical wall. Craig twisted his body around and noticed, as he had expected, that the figure had in fact stood just behind him.

As Craig's feet touched the wall, the vertical shape had bended slightly, outwards, seemingly giving Craig a little bit of cushion. When Craig's movement had stopped, he pressed his feet hard against the wall and quickly propelled himself towards the figure.

"What?!" the figure exclaimed, shocked. The dark man quickly extended his hand towards his chain, still on the ground not far from Craig's current position. The chain rattled fiercely and rose from the ground. It quickly flew into the figure's hand, as if the figure was using a strong magnet. Upon contact with his hand, the chain began glowing blue once more.

"Protect me!" the figure ordered his chain. Craig gasped as he watched the chain seemingly grow. More links were rapidly added to the chain. As a defensive measure, the chain had wrapped itself loosely around the figure, not coming into contact with the figure, but protecting him from harm's way.

'Might as well try!' Craig thought.

Craig gathered electricity in his right hand, his fury strong. He pulled his arm back and made a strong punch towards the chain. Instead of making coming into physical contact with the chain, a small pocket of air formed between Craig's fist and the chain itself. A strong gust burst outwards from the pocket of air, making the trees rattle their branches and disrupting the waters of Stark's Pond. Craig assumed his attack had little to no effect on the figure. He quickly jumped backwards away from the figure. Slowly, the chain unraveled itself. Craig noticed a single red eye appearing from behind the glowing blue chain.

"Fly away." The figure taunted. The extra links the chain had formed suddenly disappeared and the weapon reverted to its original state. The figure took the chain in hand and smacked it towards Craig like a whip. Craig used his electricity to form a barrier around his body, preventing himself from physical harm. The chain didn't hurt Craig, but the power behind the blow sent him flying backwards unexpectedly.

'Damn it!' Craig thought. He flew several feet before landing on the ground once more, almost colliding with a tree.

'I'll have to be quicker, so that he can't use that chain time.' Craig thought. 'I need to try to dodge it instead of using the barrier. In that case, I know the perfect move…I'll have to end this here…Let's see how he enjoys my next attack.'

Craig gathered the electricity in his feet once more, then dashed towards the figure. Spark flew out from behind Craig's body, leaving a trail of lightning behind him as he approached. Craig ran much faster than the average human being.

'Now…make an electric illusion…' Craig decided.

Craig carefully balanced himself and zigzagged to the left and right. He was so quick, his entire body had seemed like a blur, to the point where it appeared he had created a duplicate of himself. The figures chain glowed red as the two approached.

'He's too slow!' Craig assumed.

Craig felt a sense of victory when the figure smacked his chain towards a blur. As a result, Craig quickly ducked his body closer to the ground then extended his arm left arm backwards, electricity forming once again.

Craig seemed to teleport in front of the figure.

"It's over."

Craig pushed his arm upwards towards the figures cloak. The entire world seemed to go silent as Craig felt his hand rip through the figures skin. Blood splattered against Craig's face as the held the figure's body up in the air. Craig noticed the figure's red eyes slowly disappear, his head went limp and Craig paused for a moment, he couldn't believe he had just killed someone.

'It's over…' Craig thought. 'I've won…' he pulled his hand away from the figure, his entire lower arm stained with red blood. The figure's body dropped to the ground. Craig panted heavily from his efforts.

'I can't believe that just happened…' Craig thought. 'I actually won…' Craig began limping away from the figure.

'I have to find Wen-' Craig's heart struck with absolute fear as he heard a menacing laugh behind him. Craig quickly turned around and saw red eyes just mere inches from his face.

'What the devil?!' Craig thought, surprised.

The figure pulled his arm back and threw a punch directly at Craig's face. He landed a blow against Craig's cheek, sending him flying several feet to his right. Craig flew towards the surface of Stark's Pond. His body skidded along the surface of the water, sending droplets of water flying upwards. The entire pawn had formed a rift down the middle as Craig flew through the water. Craig's body was absolutely soaked by the time he landed on the other side.

"It takes more than that to kill me!" the figure laughed from across the pond.

Craig slammed his fist on the ground as he struggled to stand up. Water dripped from his hair onto the ground underneath him. The sky was growing darker by the minute, as if a storm was threating to explode any moment now. Craig felt like his electric energy was fading. It felt as if his power had a reserve amount of energy he could use. His eyes were slowly fading from their deep red color.

Craig blinked a few times as he stumbled upwards, trying to clear his blurry vision. From across the pond, the figure seemed to wobble towards the water. Craig watched as he stepped on the surface of the water without falling through.

"Of all the people I've fought in my lifetime, you are easily the strongest!" The figure declared. "I've only had to use this on one other person before, and it's time you earn the privilege as well!"

When the figure reached the center of the pond, he paused then spread his arms out towards his sides. Craig watched as the figure slowly floated upwards.

"Chain of darkness, return to the Earth and raise the shadows of the ground!"

At the end of the figure's words, black energy seemed to explode from the figures chest.

'What the hell?!' Craig watched, wide eyed, as multiple chains burst from the figures chest. The chains extended over Craig's head. He was completely encircled inside. Craig saw the chains dig themselves into the ground. When they came into contact with the Earth's surface, shadowy circles formed across the ground, with shadowy flames extended from the round spots.

"Illusion of shadows…" the figure chanted. To Craig's horror, he watched as a claw extended from each of the circles. The claw planted itself against the surface of the Earth, then seemed to heave itself upwards. Craig's heart was pounding with fear of death as he saw multiple shadowy figures arise from the ground. Craig was completely surrounded by the shadow's, with the figure high above the Earth in the center of Stark's Pond.

The shadow's let out a sickening groan, as if they defied being used. Craig noticed they all seemed to have a pair of blood red eyes.

"Wh-What is this?" Craig's entire body was frozen with fear. He felt as if he couldn't move.

"I order you all, kill this child!" The figure screamed. Craig went on guard as the shadows dashed towards him, roaring with ferocity.

'This isn't good!' Craig thought.

As the first shadow came within distance of Craig, he punched towards its belly. Craig felt absolute fear when the shadow's belly seemed to split open, without harming it at all. Craig pulled his hand backwards, when suddenly the shadow swiped its claw towards Craig's face. Craig leaned himself backwards, but took a small scrape just underneath his left eye from the shadow's claw. The blow seemed to make Craig's face feel like it was on fire. The blood dripped down Craig's face like a teardrop and welled underneath his chin.

Craig had to jump back a few feet, where another shadow was fast approaching. Craig glanced up towards the figure, who was moving his hands, as if he was controlling the shadows.

'So he's the puppet master!'

Craig charged for the figure. He gathered energy in his eyes, then shot sparks up towards the figure. The figure swiftly moved an arm, and a shadow quickly jumped in front of him, taking the blow and dissipating.

Craig began to feel lightheaded from all the effort. He knelt to the ground, weak and seemingly unable to continue on…he felt his heart jolt from the heroin withdrawals. He clutched his chest.

'No! No! Not now!' Craig squinted his eyes tightly as he braced himself.

"This has gone on long enough, finish him!" The figure commanded the shadows.

Craig could sense the shadows moving rapidly towards him. He tried to stand up, opening his eyes once more, but he felt lightheaded and collapsed to the ground.

'It's…really over…' Craig thought. He slowly shut his eyes as the world seemed to go black around him.

Craig heard the rushing sound of wind and began coughing rapidly. He opened his eyes, noticing he was completely surrounded by smoke. In front of him, he noticed a shadow glaring down upon him with dark red eyes. The shadow raised its claw high above its head, preparing for a final blow.

Craig suddenly saw rapid flashing from within the smoke. In an instant, Craig heard the sound of slicing wind and saw a dark shadow flying around him. Craig coughed a few more times and closed his eyes, the smoke affecting him. When the noise had died down, Craig blinked a few times and looked towards the ground. Craig suddenly noticed something waving in front of him.

He gasped when he raised his head to see what was in front of him.

"Craig…I'm sorry I'm late."

Craig's eyes sparkled with surprise as he noticed a thin, pink cape waving in front of him with a purple trim along its edges. He noticed some familiar black hair waving in front of him.

'It…it can't be…' Craig's eyes were huge and he was in utter disbelief as he examined the person in front of him. In the person's hands, were two small, beautiful silver daggers with purple and dark red grips. They glinted, even underneath the dim sky. A gust of wind picked up, sending the cape flying to the side, revealing some shiny metal armor. Craig noticed a pair of shiny silver boots with purple straps, with blood red soles. On the figure's hips, next to their silver leggings, were two leather holsters in the shape of the daggers. Craig noticed the skin around the lower upper half of the person's body. The person was wearing a shiny silver breastplate and elbow guards. Craig noticed the person grip their daggers in their hands.

Finally, the person turned around. What Craig had least expected had turned out to be true.

"Craig." Wendy smiled. "It's time for me to protect you."

Wendy turned back towards the figure in the sky.

"I was watching you. I know about the situation. I'm going to help defeat him."

Craig stumbled upwards. He limped forwards, almost falling over. Wendy quickly put an arm in front of Craig to block his fall.

"Heal, divine light." Wendy gently placed her hand behind Craig. In an instant, Craig's body seemed to begin healing itself. He felt the wound in his shoulder begin to close, and his energy was slowly returning. Wendy gently pressed against Craig's shoulders. Craig was in disbelief as he regained his balance once more.

Wendy turned back towards the figure. "Craig, give me your hand, we'll end this together." Wendy slid the knife in her right hand into a holster on her side. Wendy extended her hand sideways towards Craig. Craig glanced at Wendy, then smiled.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me." Craig smiled, which was a rare thing for him to ever do. Being with Wendy, even in this dark situation, gave Craig hope that his life wasn't over yet. Craig gently gripped Wendy's hand with his own. He realized that his blood was staining Wendy's hand.

"Sorry for the mess." Craig said.

"Let's do this…together…" Wendy poured some of her energy into Craig. Craig returned the gesture. Around Craig and Wendy, an aura in the shape of a flame formed. Inside, the flame appeared to be a light blue color. On the edges, it seemed to glow a beautiful purple color.

"Craig, when this is all over. I have something I want to tell you. We'll talk, but first, we need to defeat him." Wendy eyed the figure in the sky.

With the power surging through their bodies, the two grinned as they gripped each other's hands.

"Let's go!" they both chanted.

The two began running forward, ready to fight for their lives.


	53. WT: Wendy's Awakening - Part V

Chapter 53 - Wendy's Awakening: Part V

**POV: **Wendy Testaburger

Times have changed.

This was the fact Wendy Testaburger had come to terms with recently. Her entire world was changing, for better or worse, even she didn't know. Never before would she have ever guessed that fate would bring her to Stark's Pond, by Craig's side, surrounded by each other's aura, preparing to fight for their lives. Inside the blue aura, Wendy could see the other side through the translucent flame texture.

Craig and Wendy sprinted towards the figure in the sky, preparing for a dangerous fight.

Craig's warm hand gripped Wendy's, and she returned the gesture. Feeling Craig's gentle, soft touch felt familiar and refreshing to Wendy. However, she almost felt as if Craig's grip was different in some way. It wasn't the same kindhearted grip he had given her in the past, it almost felt like it was deeper, but Wendy couldn't tell what emotions Craig was feeling, as he always seemed so mysterious to her. Wendy gazed over to look into Craig's deep red eyes as the wind made her hair fly backwards. Craig's malicious gaze was something that secretly had frightened her deep down. The only reason she wasn't shivering in fear at this very moment was because of her newfound power, thanks to Clyde.

"Craig, kill the monsters first!" Wendy instructed. "Then sever the chains in the ground! That's where his power comes from!" Wendy eyed the black pools at the base of the chains.

"Right!" Craig agreed. The two ran forward a few more feet before releasing their grip on each other. Both of their auras were flowing through one another, granting them extraordinary abilities.

Wendy ran towards a group of shadows, who stared at her with pure emptiness. Wendy adjusted her wrists so that the knives were pointing behind her as she sprinted towards her enemies. A light purple ring formed around both of Wendy's wrists. Wendy leaned forward and pressed her feet into the ground, leaping towards the group of shadows with incredible velocity. Wendy pulled both of the blades in front of her in a horizontal fashion. The blades emitted a soft yellow glow, the source of their power.

'All of this is thanks to Clyde...' Wendy thought before she began attacking. 'He's taught me so much...'

…

What felt like a week ago, Wendy could recall herself in the dark, snowy world that she had been to before. In dreams, in memories, Wendy could never forget this world.

Wendy punched the air with a sweaty hand. Her hair was wrapped in a tight ponytail as she worked her body. Sweat rolled down her face as Clyde sat on the ground nearby her, observing her progress. Wendy stopped attacking after exhaustion took over her body. She fell to her knees, placing her hands on the ground in front of her for support. Her breath was rapid and quickly turned to steam in the cold night. Wendy had been punching the air for several hours. She still couldn't see the point behind it, but it was what Clyde had instructed her to do.

"I…I can't keep going…" Wendy huffed out. "It's too much..." she continued, trying to catch her breath.

Clyde didn't change his plain expression. He sighed for a moment, then looked at Wendy with determination.

"You have to keep going, Craig is counting on you!" Clyde encouraged her.

Wendy slammed a fist into the ground out of frustration, crunching the snow underneath her and making a slight fissure on the surface of the mysterious world. Clyde seemed to look at her with a somewhat surprised expression.

"I feel like I'm getting nowhere…Clyde…" Wendy pressed against her fists to move herself backwards. Wendy leaned backwards and rested on her behind and placed her hands underneath her for support. She was frustrated, she wanted nothing more than to be helping Craig at this very moment, but she felt like no progress had really been made.

"Wendy…" Clyde started as he got up from the ground and strolled over to Wendy.

"Let me talk to you for a few minutes."

Clyde rested himself criss-cross in front of Wendy. Clyde extended his right arm towards Wendy, with his palm up towards the dark sky.

"Give me your hand." Clyde instructed.

Wendy raised her head and tilted an eyebrow in confusion.

"Don't worry, trust me." Clyde smiled.

Wendy extended her hand towards Clyde, believing him. Clyde reached out towards Wendy's hand with his other hand and enveloped hers in a warm aura. Clyde shut his eyes for a moment, concentrating his energy on his palms.

"Power of the stars, refresh this soul."

Wendy's body quickly jolted with a burst of new found energy. She felt as if she had never even began her training. Her eyes quickly widened as she registered that Clyde had rejuvenated her.

"Clyde?! What did you just do?!" Wendy asked in both surprise and confusion.

Clyde smiled at Wendy's surprise. "This is the sort of magic I can offer you when you summon me. You see, Wendy...I can specialize in what you would call 'support magic.' I'm still learning about the magic myself, but so far I can perform some simple tasks, like casting a spell to make you move faster, refresh your body, and I also have a spell that can teleport you from this world back to your normal world."

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you just help me defeat Craig, if you already know your own power?"

Clyde shook his head.

"I'm afraid not. I only specialize in _support _magic." Clyde emphasized.

"You still aren't ready to help Craig. Craig is already a few levels ahead of you. I'm afraid you wouldn't be much more than a burden at this point, you have to keep training until you achieve your power. I know it's complicated, but you have to keep moving."

Wendy sighed into the cold air.

"Hey, Clyde?"

"Hmm?" Clyde replied.

"I have a question for you. I know that you told me I should just work on finding flow with my strikes, that's why I've been punching the air for what feels like days now…but what I really wanted to ask you is, what is this power exactly? Where does it come from? And what does all of this mean? It seems like not long ago, everything was normal around South Park. But now…things have changed…You died, I broke up with Craig….Kyle left…I'm not sure where Stan, Kenny, and Eric are…I haven't seen them all summer…and I feel like everyone is in danger…"

Clyde sighed. "I'm afraid I don't know all the details myself, but I can explain to you what I know. Let me see…let's start by explaining what exactly this power is that you possess…bear with me, it might be a lot to digest…" Clyde inhaled slightly before beginning his explanation. He extended a finger to the snow and began drawing on it.

"Only certain, chosen people are gifted with power such as this." Clyde drew a stick figure in the snow with his finger before continuing.

"What is this power?" Clyde asked. "I'm sure that's one of the things you want to know…you see, at some point, we can awaken our powers by finding the right trigger to do so. That night that Craig saved you, the reason he developed those red eyes and received incredible power was because my death triggered it. At that moment, Craig felt absolutely devastated, like he was worthless. He cared a lot about you…he had something to protect, but also lost something dear to him...but the trigger, was wanting to protect those close to him, even you, Wendy."

Wendy stared at the ground guiltily for a moment.

'Craig…If I would have stayed, would I have just been in the way…could I have helped save Clyde?...' Wendy gripped her hands tightly, forming fists.

"Now let me explain to you just what exactly Craig's power is, then that might help you understand your own better. You see, each of us has a specific location where we have a special energy allocated to. Think of this as a colored aura inside of us, our source of energy. This energy, or rather this colored energy, is located in one of many places: The eyes, the heart, the brain, your feet, one or both of your arms, but we don't know exactly where this power derives from until we awaken our power in the first place. The reason I'm having you punch the air like you are, is to see if there is anything special happening to you while doing so. Perhaps swift movements of your fists could release your aura. Let me ask you something interesting…Craig has red eyes. Can you guess what that means?"

Wendy tilted her head. "Does that mean…Craig's aura supply is located within his eyes? And the reason his eyes turned red was because his aura was red? So that means...as obvious as it sounds, Craig has a red aura located behind his eyes?"

Clyde nodded. "Exactly. Now that you understand that, I can explain how these auras are used. When someone realizes where their own aura is located, they can focus on the area where their energy is stored in order to utilize the ability they've been gifted. In Craig's case, he has been gifted with an interesting one. The red color represents relentless strength, which could be a good, yet a bad thing. This gives Craig the ability to keep fighting as long as he is angered, however, that poses the risk he may make some rash decisions. Another attribute to having a red aura inside of you is that you have increased endurance. This is why Craig was able to fight for so long with incredible strength."

Wendy raised a hand.

"Hmm?" Clyde prompted.

"But…wasn't Craig surrounded by a blue aura before?" Wendy asked.

Clyde grinned. "That's where it gets kind of interesting…there are some people that have seemingly unlocked multiple aura centers in their body. Perhaps we have more than we know, but the key to unlocking the others is still a mysterious. However, it seems like Craig might actually have two auras to help him…I'm assuming that he has a _small_ red aura somewhere behind his eyes and a bigger, _red_ aura located somewhere in his body. But if he was enveloped in it, I'm assuming this means it's somewhere near the heart." Clyde mused.

Wendy shrugged. "So, what do the colors define?"

Clyde sighed. "It's a bit confusing, I'll try my best to explain. Every color that your body emits relates to how your personality is…For example, my aura…" Clyde took a few seconds to stand up in front of Wendy. Clyde closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. When he focused his energy, a light blue aura surrounded his body, but most noticeably Clyde's hands were glowing a shiny white color. Clyde opened his eyes, which were now sparkling even brighter than before.

"My aura is blue, and located in my hands. This means that I specialize in what you would call 'support magic.' Your aura also reflects the nature of the abilities you were given. The blue aura symbolizes that I am the kind of person who enjoys helping others. As for the blue aura in my hands, that means that I have enough stamina to last for quite a while during a fight. I can support you for a long time, because of this blue aura. Essentially, the aura _location_ defines what _type _of power you have, and the color defines the _nature_ of it."

Wendy sighed a cold breath into the night. "I feel like I'm never going to learn where my aura is…how did you find out?"

Clyde smiled. "I had some help from a friend, and now I'm going to help you."

Clyde stepped forward and placed his hand on Wendy's head. Wendy looked up at him in surprise. Clyde grinned at her.

"Take a moment to relax, I'm refreshing your mind." Clyde explained.

Wendy stared down at the ground for a moment.

"Hey…Clyde…?" Wendy asked shyly.

"Hmm?" Clyde responded.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about…"

Clyde paused for a moment. Wendy assumed he understood what this was about. Clyde frowned, understanding of what Wendy was implying.

"We have more important matters at the moment…I promise you though…we'll talk about things…but later."

Wendy gave a fake smile, which quickly recessed into a grin. "I understand…"

**...**

A few days later(at least in the dark world's time, not Earth's time) within the snowy world, Wendy awoke from her resting place on the ground. It wasn't very comfortable lying on the ground ever night, but Wendy would have to make do until her training was completed. Above her face in the sky, a few stars could be seen above her in the almost completely dark sky. However, a few stars managed to shine through.

Wendy tilted her head over to her to see Clyde sitting upwards with his hands in his lap.

'What is he doing?' Wendy wondered instantly. 'Is he meditating?'

Wendy watched Clyde in amusement for a moment. She was curious if he was sleeping, meditating, or doing something completely different. Clyde's light blue aura was released yet again, covering his entire body.

'Is he training..? Or maybe casting a spell?' Wendy thought of the multiple possibilities, but didn't want to interrupt and break Clyde's concentration.

Wendy gasped when Clyde's body suddenly jolted backwards. He swung towards the ground and it wasn't long before he was laying back on the in the snow, laying motionless.

"C-Clyde?!" Wendy shouted worriedly. She urgently moved over to him and got down onto her knees. Wendy gently lifted his head towards her lap. She tried to examine his face thoroughly, until she noticed that Clyde had blinked a few times. Wendy sighed with relief that he was conscious again.

"W-Wendy?" Clyde peered through his slitted eyes, trying to come to. Not long afterwords, his eyes suddenly expanded in size, and he sat up without Wendy's permission, rubbing his head in slight embarrassment.

"What just happened?...Are you OK?" Wendy asked reassuringly.

Clyde chuckled a bit and lightly shook his head up and down. "I was channeling my energy to talk with someone."

"Who?" Wendy asked curiously.

Clyde grinned. "An old friend." Clyde said ambiguously.

"So, Wendy, I want to try something really quick. Stand up, and hold both of your arms out straight, towards me."

Wendy raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Clyde grinned as he wobbled upwards and stood up straight.

"It's all right...trust me." Clyde held his hand out for Wendy's support.

Wendy reluctantly took his hand and stood upwards, Clyde assisted her with her balance before continuing his instruction.

"Put your legs together, and arms out straight."

Clyde took a step backwards, preparing himself.

Wendy shrugged but obliged with Clyde's instructions. She stretched her arms out towards Clyde, almost like she was going to give Clyde a hug. Clyde carefully examined Wendy's arms for a moment from his distance.

"What are you doing, exactly?" Wendy asked.

Clyde cautiously stepped forward. He gently reached out and flipped Wendy's wrists upwards. He got a closer look at her skin, examining it thoroughly.

"OK…I see…" Clyde said.

Wendy was so confused by what was happening. Unfortunately, Clyde hadn't been too straightforward with answering questions. All Wendy understood was certain people were gifted with an aura, and this aura's color defines the nature of how one uses the aura stored in a certain location.

"Alright Wendy. You can lower your arms now." Clyde said casually. "It's time."

"Time for what?" Wendy asked eagerly.

Clyde smiled. " I have some good news. It's time we make a pact so that I can serve you. This pact may just reveal to us where your aura is located. By doing what I'm about to, I'll find out if there is any aura located in one or both of your arms."

"Really? That's so cool!" Wendy sounded excited, until her thoughts caught up with her. "Wait. What do you have to do? And what's this pact all about?"

Clyde's face drew to a straight line. "Alright Wendy. This is where things get grimmer…You want to save Craig, and you have limited time to be here, and so do I. This pact is one that we would eventually make, but it would really be optional and completely up to you. If you make this pact now, we could find out what your power is, and if all goes according to plan, we could leave very soon."

Wendy nodded. "If it helps me to save Craig, I'll do it."

"Wait…" Clyde interrupted. "I haven't even told you the details of this contract. Those who have been to this world are gifted with the potential to use the spirits of this world to come to their aid. Wendy, I believe I told you that you could summon me in the real world, correct?"

Wendy nodded.

"Alright…" Clyde paused. "In order to summon me, you have to make this pact with me. The only reason that you're able to make a pact with me is because I summoned you here myself with my support magic. Because you made it here safely, I knew that you would be allowed to use me in battle whenever you find necessary. You see, when you make a pact with someone such as I, I am at your service, and will help you whenever you request my assistance with whatever kind of magic I have now or in the future. There are two trade-offs to doing this. The first…" Clyde held up one finger.

"The first condition is that whenever I use my own energy, you'll feel the effects of whatever I feel added to your current state. For example, imagine you summoned me and wanted me to heal a scratch on your body. If I use my energy from this world, since we are connected, you would feel whatever I feel added to your current state in battle. For example, if you ran for a mile and I healed you, you would feel both your own physical strain from both running _AND_ my effort to heal you. It's an odd trade-off and a very consuming magic spell. However, with my support magic we should be able to sustain in battle, at least for a little while."

Wendy nodded. "That sounds kind of crazy… so what's this other condition?"

Clyde's eyes grew dark. Wendy almost shivered in fear at how grim Clyde really looked.

"If for some reason I was to die in your world. I'll disappear forever, and our pact will be broken. But I'm afraid that isn't the worst part of it…Worst case scenario, if both of us were to die in any order... The pact would not only be completely severed, but…you _AND_ _I _would dissapear as well. Even after your death, you wouldn't come here and possibly be able to make a pact with someone ELSE. You would practically be erased from existence, as well as I. No one would know about us anymore. Peoples memories of us would be wiped from their minds. The world would change as if our names were never even uttered. All the friends we had will cease to remember anything about us. We would literally become nothing. But this only happens when two people die. So if I was to die, that would mean the bond was severed, and you could make another one. As long as you stay alive, you'll be OK."

Wendy's eyes opened wide in surprise. "Clyde…that sounds so risky…I'm not sure..."

Clyde nodded. "It is risky, that's why I want to ask you truthfully. Do you want to accept this power?"

Wendy paused for a moment and pondered over her choice. It was a big decision for her.

'If I accept, I can possibly help Craig as soon as possible…but what if I'm not strong enough…What if we all just end up dying?"

Clyde moved forward and placed his hands on Wendy's shoulders. Wendy raised her head to meet Clyde's deep, sparkling eyes. "If it was me, I would do it. Craig was my friend. I would do anything for him. I know this is a hard decision, but I encourage you to think quickly."

Wendy stopped hesitating and nodded. "I accept this pact. Do what you have to."

Clyde nodded and took a step back from Wendy.

"Close your eyes for a moment and tilt your head down, with your right arm extended."

Wendy did as Clyde ordered.

"I'm going to put my wrist next to yours. I want you to imagine a single shackle on both of our wrists, with a chain connecting us together. Imagine a flexible chain, one that's very loose. This visualizes you understand the bond between us."

Wendy used her brain to depict the image in her head.

"OK…" Wendy said.

Clyde inhaled deeply before making the most important pledge of Wendy's life.

"Underneath this starry sky, I hereby make this pact with Wendy Testaburger. I agree to represent, protect, and serve as her spirit guardian. I accept my responsibility to protect her to the best of my ability and fight for justice, helping her to purge the gathering evil. Upon this vow we are both making, we swear our loyalty to one another." Wendy felt her body quickly jolt with energy from above. She felt an incredible power surge through her arms.

A large pillar of light zoomed down from the sky, surrounding Wendy and Clyde in a pillar of light. It lasted not even a second. Wendy could sense the light behind her closed eyes, but by the time she opened them, the light had vanished.

"The pact is done, Wendy. Open your eyes, look at your wrists!" Clyde shouted urgently.

Wendy's eyes burst open and she beamed down at her arms. Where Wendy had placed her wrist next to Clyde's, a single ring composed of purplish aura was traversing its way around her wrist. It looked as if she had a mystical purple bracelet attached to her.

"That's your aura. Your aura is located in your wrists!" Clyde happily announced.

Wendy gasped. "This is…my power I'm manifesting?" Wendy looked down at her wrists, feeling not feeling threatened by strange glow.

"Yes." Clyde answered. "The purple aura means that you are skilled with using your wrists. Most specifically…you are good at throwing, as well as making quick movements with your hands. This might sound disappointing at first, but you haven't even gotten to the good part yet. You're now going to have to train on focusing your attention to the purple bracelet…once you do that, you can summon your weapons, train with them, and prepare as much as you need to until you're ready to fight."

"I'll do whatever it takes!" Wendy said determinedly.

**...**

For a few more days, Wendy stood in the cold and focused underneath the dark sky. It felt like she was focusing for hours upon hours. She was so drained after a few days. She had bags under her eyes from lack of sleep. She was becoming weaker faster than before; Clyde had to refresh her with his magic more frequently so she could keep training.

Finally one day, as she was concentrating, she saw light shine from behind her closed eyes. As she opened them, a wind swept up through her body. Her hair lifted from behind her into the dark sky, and her clothes glittered as her transformation was almost complete. Wendy lifted off the ground for a moment, her body twisting slightly.

A beautiful purple glow surrounded Wendy, and her clothes turned into mere particles, only to be replaced by beautiful armor, a cape, as well as her new found weapons. She slowly lowered towards the ground, the gravity lightly placed her onto the snow once more. Wendy was now ready to learn some spells from Clyde.

Over the course of the next few days, Clyde had taught Wendy some mystical spells, ones that would surely help her in the battles to come.

**…**

Wendy grinned as she watched the monsters step towards her angrily.

"I'm a whole new person now." Wendy mumbled. She gripped her dagger hilts tightly and prepared to unleash on her opponents.

A monster raised its dark hand above its head and swooped it down towards Wendy. Wendy had to contain her excitement and adrenaline, she couldn't wait to try out her newly acquired powers.

Wendy smiled as a black claw came swooping down and slammed itself towards the ground. A huge cloud of dust appeared where Wendy had once stood. Pebbles and dirt were kicked into the air, blocking the shadow from a clear view.. The shadow looked around in curiosity, trying to seek out Wendy. A light glimmered from behind the monster's head, above nearly ten other shadows. The shadow quickly turned back to see Wendy floating in the air, with a beautiful yellow light surrounding her body. She held one of her daggers high in the air with her right hand, the same as the purple bracelet, which was now glowing. A deep light seemed to shine and power the bracelet.

"Circle of light!" Wendy swooped one of her knives downwards towards the figure. Wendy flicked her other knife and the two fell simultaneously. When they were next to each other, the light exerting from the two knives bound together, covering the blades. Inside, the two knives glowed and formed into a solid piece, a double edged dagger-like weapon. The new weapon quickly zoomed back up towards Wendy's hand. She spun the knives around in her hand and tossed her weapon down towards the shadows once more. The blade made contact with the first monster. What the shadow's didn't expect was that the light spread out into a large circle of light. The light cut through all the monsters within its circumference, killing nearly five monsters total. All the monsters seemingly evaporated underneath her.

Wendy descended through the air after her attack had been launched. While falling, she examined Craig, who had just kicked a monster in the gut, sending it flying backwards and making its body turn into a shadowy essence before dissapearing.

'They can only take one hit each...Craig's got this too...He's so strong now.' Wendy watched Craig charge towards another shadow creature. Wendy touched the ground once more and lifted her head quickly.

"My blades!" Wendy raised both of her hands above her head.

"Seperate!" Wendy ordered her weapon. Once again, the light glow surrounded it, transforming the blades on the inside. When the glow faded, Wendy's original two daggers flew out, slapping into both of her hands perfectly.

"Let's go!" Wendy ran towards a group of nearly fifteen monsters. Wendy closed her eyes for a moment before engaging.

'Remember what Clyde told you...firm yet delicate...' Wendy had practiced this technique several times, but always seemed to have trouble maintaining this ability, but it would be perfect for her to execute here, on the makeshift battlefield.

"Flurry of fury!" Wendy shouted before leaning forwards and increasing her movement speed. Before Wendy dived into the pit of monsters, one of the Shadow's swung for her clumsily, but Wendy ducked aside, dodging its attack. Wendy used her wrists to quickly slice through the monsters arm. A dark clump of shadow fell off the monster, and both the shadowy limb and the monster faded.

Wendy carefully balanced on her heels, spinning through the monsters and slicing through each of the monster's bellies. She was perfectly executing her technique, in a combo of slashes and throwing her knives, only to have them returned to her. It was a fast technique, one that wasn't easy to master, but Wendy had perservered for days to at least grasp somewhat of an understanding. In fact, the technique itself could be added upon hypothetically infinitely, but Wendy had only mastered the basics.

Wendy swirled quickly and sliced through four monsters, cutting their bellies open and purging them from the Earth.

Wendy had suddenly discovered that all the monsters around had been evaporated. She turned around to see Craig punched a monster in the gut, sending it bouncing across the water before evaporating in midair.

Craig and Wendy glanced at each other, smiling. All that remained was the dark figure in the sky, floating above the water, his chains still attached to the ground. He looked on in what appeared to be fear.

"Craig!" Wendy shouted. Wendy ran towards her half of Stark's pond, where the chains in the ground were near the bank of the water.

"Slice the three chains, he can't summon any more monsters if you do that!" Wendy shouted.

Wendy ran along her side of the river, slicing the chains were her extremely sharp blades. Craig moved a little slower, he had to physically pull the chains from the ground, focusing energy on his arms to fulfill his efforts.

Wendy severed all of the chains on her side. She glanced over, noticing Craig was still having trouble pulling the second chain on his side out of the ground. Wendy sprinted around the pond and sliced the last chain free just as Craig pulled the final chain from the ground.

The chains rattled loudly, sending sound waves across Stark's Pond. The figure in the sky leaned forwards, falling towards the water. The wind blew up against him as his body slammed into the pond, sending up and enormous black splash. The black slowly faded from the water, and eventually, Craig and Wendy had both realized that the evil had been purged. It seemed they were finally victorious.

"Its….its all over now…" Craig huffed out, falling to his knees.

Wendy walked over towards Craig and crouched beside him.

"You did wonderful..."

Craig stared at the ground, trying to process everything that had just happened. Wendy stared up at the sky, waiting for the clouds to finally burst with rain.

"Craig..." Wendy hesitated before she finally spoke the words she had been dying to say. Her eyes filled with water as she watched some blood trickle down Craig's face. Wendy examined his wound.

"It's not deep, thankfully..." Wendy said in relief, still trying to keep her eyes from overflowing.

Craig looked up towards Wendy. Her face seemed to sparkle in his view.

"Wendy...Craig wobbled to stand up." Craig stumbled as he tried to stand, Wendy quickly came to his aid, hugging him from the front. Craig rested his head on Wendy's shoulder, exhausted, yet trusting Wendy to shoulder him. Craig felt a few raindrops from the sky above him. He gripped the back of Wendy's shirt with both of his hands. Thunder boomed overhead and the clouds burst with heavy rain. The raindrops began to soak Craig's clothing and tap against Wendy's shiny metal armor.

Wendy's eyes finally overflown as she more tightly embraced Craig. Her tears ran down her face and into Craig's clothing. Wendy felt her lips quiver, before she forced herself to say the words she had been dying to.

"I love you." Wendy squeezed Craig tighter. Craig's eyes slowly began to close as he was drifting into sleep. Craig put a wounded hand up to Wendy's cheek.

"I...love you too..." Craig's hand slid down Wendy's cheek, leaving a small streak of blood against her skin.

Craig shut his eyes, going to sleep.

Wendy raised her head towards the sky, holding a wounded Craig in her arms.

'I'll never let him go again...'

Wendy turned away from the pond and began carrying Craig away, ready to see to his wounds.


	54. BJ: The Ice Angel - Part I

_**Author's Note: **The next chapter will conclude this current arc. We're almost to the chapters we've all been waiting for :)_

Chapter 54 – The Ice Angel: Part I

**POV: **Blanket Jefferson

Blanket Jefferson glanced up at a beautiful, soft orange sky as he walked along the wooden upper deck of his father's cruise ship. The smell of saltwater filled his nostrils and a gust of cool wind made his hair wave slightly. Blanket was wearing a thin navy blue dress shirt and some brown slacks. Blanket stuffed his hands in his suit coat as a stiff breeze passed by.

'It gets cold on the Atlantic sometimes…' Blanket thought to himself. The young boy stared off into the horizon, wondering how far he was actually seeing.

'We've been travelling for over two weeks now. And the captain told me today he thinks we'll be arriving in Stockholm tomorrow.' Blanket thought. He sighed and walked up to the metal bars stationed atop the ships flank. He leaned forward and lightly gripped the cool metal with his hands. He stared down into the water, wondering how deep it was. Blanket looked straight ahead towards the setting sun. A lot had been on his mind lately, and frequent walks had helped Blanket take his mind off of things. Staring off into the sunset was also peaceful to Blanket, it reminded him of the fall sunsets in South Park.

'I haven't really talked to Stan much lately…I wonder what he's doing right now…him and Kenny were lounging in the hot tub last night. I was thinking about joining them…but I don't know…sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it to talk to Stan…'

Blanket had a very brief flashback of a smiling Stan holding his hands. Blanket shook his head.

'Those were old times…' Blanket thought. 'But now…times have changed…and I'm not sure what Trent wants to do with Kyle…but he told me he wants to…' Blanket put his hand in front of his mouth, he felt like he was going to vomit.

His mind flashed back to the horrible night in his penthouse bedroom. Trent Boyett had snuck into Blanket's residence, threating to kill him unless he helped draw out Kyle. Blanket couldn't think of what interest Trent had with Kyle, but clearly he wanted to do something big.

'It's what he whispered in my ear…that makes me think betraying Stan and Kyle is a better choice…' Blanket shuddered thinking about Trent's threat. He didn't even want to think about it for long. Blanket quickly shook his head, pretending Trent never said anything.

'What's bothering me more…is that I'm not sure how I feel about Stan…do I still consider him a friend? He was there for me…a long time ago…what do I even remember about him?' Blanket pondered for a moment.

Blanket grinned for a moment.

'I remember when he saved me…he was so brave…I thought he was my hero.'

Blanket gripped the metal bars and leaned back slightly. He glanced up at the sky, remembering better days.

**…**

A young Blanket Jefferson noticed his breath froze in the air in front of him as he trudged through some dense woods. The sky above was a dim grey color, with a hint of orange behind the clouds. The evening was approaching, and Blanket had a mission he wanted to accomplish before sundown.

Blanket walked through the thick forest, with trees all around him.

'It's just up ahead…Stan is supposed to be there…' Blanket thought determinedly. Stan had promised Blanket they would ice skate later today. Stark's Pond was Blanket's favorite place to go towards the winter, it was nice, quiet, and festive. Once in a while, Kyle, Kenny, and Eric would join Stan at Stark's Pond, but this was more seldom during the harsh winter. A large snowstorm had just hit the town the day before, so a lot of parents were protective and didn't want their children going outside. Luckily for Blanket, he was about to sneak out of his mansion without anyone noticing.

'I might as well have some fun before Christmas.' Blanket thought. Christmas usually consisted of Blanket participating in an enormous dinner with his father and all of Blanket's caretakers. Blanket already had a lot of expensive things: Video games, consoles, and a whole playground in his backyard…Blanket didn't really want anything specific this year. In fact, he enjoyed things that weren't as expensive, like ice skating with Stan.

'Almost there…' Blanket thought as he broke through the edge of the tree line and stepped onto the outskirts of the forest. Stark's Pond was in the distance, frozen over with a layer of ice. Blanket noticed some familiar skate marks on the ice, some kids had clearly been skating earlier. Thankfully, Blanket had the pond all to himself for the moment.

Blanket eyed the area around him, hoping to find the boy in the red poof ball hat. He soon realized his efforts were to no avail, Stan was nowhere to be seen.

'He's probably just late…' Blanket thought half-heartedly. He moved forward through the snow, his footsteps crunching and causing him to sink several inches into the snow, way past his ankles. He was thankful for winter boots, they really did come in handy this time of year.

'Hmm…I might as well do something while I wait for Stan…he's bringing my ice skates so I can't skate yet…maybe I can do something cool in the snow?'

Blanket leaned down in front of him and padded some snow together with his red leather gloves to form a nearly perfect snowball. He threw it out towards the pond with little effort. Blanket watched as the snowball soared through the air, then collided against the ice, causing it to split and send snow everywhere. Blanket grinned, he was getting better at making snowballs, and aiming them as well.

'Hmm….snowballs aren't really that fun if nobody is around…Oh, I know!' Blanket suddenly found inspiration for a small project.

'I'll do what Stan showed me the other day!' Blanket leaned down once more, his brown scarf dangling from his neck. He used his hands to work towards putting together a good sized snowball. Blanket pressed the snowball against the ground and began twisting it a bit to pad it with more snow, then rolling it lightly.

'I'll make a snowman!' Blanket thought with determination. He continued pushing it along the ground, collecting more snow for his creation. Blanket watched with joy as the snowball began collecting more snow, becoming bigger and bigger as the minutes went by. About fifteen minutes later, he finally placed the head on top of the snowman. A snowman about Blanket's height stood in front of him, white without any features. Blanket took a step back and admired his creation so far. He gripped his chin lightly, thinking about what to put on the snowman next.

'Hmm…he needs arms now…' Blanket concluded. He glanced around him, looking for decent resources. A few yards away from him, Blanket saw a low hanging tree branch, with some brittle, leafless branches hanging from it.

'Perfect!' Blanket thought excitedly. The young boy ran through the snow, panting from the effort. Seconds later, Blanket was underneath the branch, ready to break off the smaller branches. He reached up towards the branches, which were just out of reach. He tried to stand on his tip-toes, and his fingertips were just about to touch one of the branches when Blanket heard footsteps in the forest. He paused for a moment, and peered around the tree into the gray woods.

"Stan?" Blanket called out nervously. For a moment, Blanket felt a grim presence when a reply wasn't returned. Nothing appeared in the shadows.

'That's weird…' Blanket thought to himself.

Blanket went back to his original task: attempting pull the branches off the tree in front of him. After getting tired of stretching, Blanket hopped off the ground slightly and grabbed on to one of the branches. Blanket's weight pulled if off the tree, and he repeated the same movement with the other branch. He felt joy rush through him when the second one snapped off.

'Now I can finish it off before Stan gets here! I bet he'll love it!' Blanket thought excitedly. He turned back towards his faceless snowman, still sitting stationary several feet away. Blanket once again ran along the snow, huddling his branches close to his body as he travelled.

When Blanket was reunited with the snowman, he carefully stuck both branches on the middle snowball on the left and right sides, giving the faceless snowman a new pair of arms. Blanket took a step back and glanced at the snowman's face.

"I'm getting better at this. Now for some eyes…" Blanket thought out loud.

At his words, the snowman's head burst towards Blanket's face, sending snow and ice directly into his flesh. A couple pieces of ice scraped Blanket's cheeks, creating small scrapes across his cheeks. Blanket quickly rubbed his eyes with his gloves, his face was freezing and stinging from the recent attack. A moment later he heard some laughter in front of him. He tried to wipe his face quickly so he could see what was happening.

"He fell for it!" Blanket heard a familiar voice cheer. He finished wiping his face, which was now wet and red from all the snow. He blinked his eyes a few times to clear his vision. Finally, Blanket noticed two familiar bullies: Bill and Fosse.

"Hehehe, snowmen are so gay." Chuckled Fosse.

"Hehehe, this kid's gay." Bill cackled.

"Why would you do that?" Blanket asked, glaring at the two angrily.

"Because you're gay." Fosse teased. The two laughed simultaneously. Blanket felt a mix of anger and sadness at Bill and Fosse's words.

"You better stop or-or I'll tell my dad on you!" Blanket threatened.

"Your dad is gay, too!" Bill teased.

"Stop it!" Blanket shouted, curling his hands into fists. Blanket's face began to feel hot.

Fosse examined Blanket for a moment, then turned to his partner in crime.

"Hey Bill, I think this kid is trying to be tough." he mused. "I think we ought to…teach him a lesson…" Bill simply nodded at the comment, which made Fosse grin evilly.

Fosse took a few steps forward towards Blanket. The bully suddenly reached out and pushed his hands against Blanket's shoulders, making Blanket stumble a few inches backwards. It was difficult to keep his balance in the deep snow. Blanket raised his arms up defensively, prepared to block any more pushes.

"And what are you going to do?" Fosse intimidated. "Tell on me?" Fosse pushed harder, making Blanket take a big step back, almost falling over.

"Stop…" Blanket pleaded quietly.

"What's that, you want me to stop?" Fosse pushed Blanket harder.

"Please stop..." Blanket asked again, trying to regain his balance when Fosse pushed him again. Blanket nearly fell over but just barely regained his balance.

"Crybaby." Fosse shoved Blanket as hard as he could, sending him falling toward the ground. Blanket thudded into the snow and landed on his side. Bill and Fosse laughed together at their supposed victory. Blanket felt his eyes watering at being so humiliated.

'I'll just leave…' Blanket decided in his mind. He placed his hands against the snow, standing up. He brushed the snow off his clothes and began to walk away.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Blanket heard the sound of quick footsteps and suddenly Bill appeared in front of him, blocking his path.

"I'm leaving. I'll leave so you can have the pond to yourselves." Blanket explained. He took a step to the side, trying to walk by Bill, but Bill adjusted his position, and continued to block Blanket's escape route. Blanket glared up at Bill with his angry blue eyes, furious at how he was being treated.

"Move." Blanket ordered.

"Make me." Bill taunted.

"Hey, kid!" Blanket heard Fosse call behind him. Blanket twisted around when he heard Fosse approach.

"Come on, why don-"Blanket's words were interrupted when Fosse swung his fist into Blanket's face. His knuckles against Blanket's nose, sending a small stream of blood through the air. Blanket felt a rush of pain as he collapsed to the ground, his vision blurry. Blanket clutched his nose in pain. Bill and Fosse both cackled at their victory. For a moment, Blanket's senses were so distorted he almost passed out. After a few moments, he slowly regained his vision, yet his hearing was still somewhat fuzzy. Blanket pressed his blurry glove against his nose, then saw a small seeing a small dab of scarlet red against his glove.

'I'm bleeding…' Blanket clutched his nose, which was throbbing in pain.

"We aint done with you yet!" Fosse announced. Blanket closed his eyes shut, bracing himself for more pain.

"Stop it!" A young boy yelled a short distance away.

'Is that Stan?!' Blanket's eyes flicked open and he looked in the direction of the voice, behind Fosse. Blanket was relieved when he saw a young Stan, panting rapidly, as if he ran through the woods when he saw Blanket being bullied. Stan had sweat rolling down his face, and his brows were furrowed angrily.

"Who are you? His gay lover?" Bill teased. Fosse laughed at Bill's comment.

"I'm the one who's going to kick your ass if you lay another finger on him. Get the hell out of here!" Stan ordered.

Bill and Fosse glanced at each other for a moment. Their faces were blank for a moment as they digested the situation. Moments later, Blanket saw Fosse smile devilishly, and Bill returned the gesture. They both faced Stan and approaching him.

Stan bent his legs slightly, getting ready for Bill and Fosse to attack him. His poof lightly rattled as a stiff breeze passed by.

"The second you lay a finger on me, I'm putting you both in the dirt." Stan warned. "Go ahead." He urged them.

"Stan is awfully cute, aint he Fosse? He's playin' the hero." Bill jabbed.

"Let's see what a hero he is when we're done with him!" Fosse spoke confidently before running towards Stan. Bill followed right behind him.

Blanket's eyes widened as he prepared to watch the three fight.

'Please don't hurt him!' Blanket pleaded silently.

Blanket watched as Fosse pulled his arm back, getting ready to thrust it towards Stan. Stan eyed Fosse's movements carefully, and stepped to the side, dodging Fosse's punch, which just barely missed Stan's cheek. Stan took the opportunity to use his right fist to punch upwards into Fosse's gut. A rough thudding sound was heard before Fosse clutched his stomach, heaving in pain and trying to catch his breath.

Bill came in on Stan's other side, throwing a quick punch towards Stan's chest. Stan caught Bill's punch with one hand. Bill stared at Stan in shock for a moment before Stan kicked his boot into Bill's chest, sending him tumbling backwards.

"Now get the hell out." Stan ordered both of the boys.

Bill slapped his hands against the ground, trying to get up. Fosse was still working on breathing.

"You think we're done yet?" Bill shouted angrily, standing up quickly and running for Stan again.

Bill moved his right arm a few inches towards Stan's face, but the punch was just a distraction. Bill purposely didn't hit Stan, then followed up with a hard knock against Stan's lip. Stan felt his head become fuzzy and his senses dull as he stumbled backwards, blood dribbling from his mouth. Blanket gasped as he watched Stan fall onto one knee. Bill kicked Stan's shoulder, sending him falling onto his back.

Bill climbed on top of Stan and grabbed Stan's coat collar, pulling him upwards and glaring down at him. Bill pulled his arm up in the air, and slammed it down on Stan's face. Stan's head slammed against the ground, and a new bruise shown on Stan's cheek.

'No, stop!' Blanket pleaded in horror. Blanket was fidgeting badly, desperately wanting to help Stan. When Bill reached down for Stan's collar one more time, Blanket forced himself to stand up and run towards Bill, who pulled Stan up by his collar yet again.

"Get off of him!" Blanket screamed as he approached. Bill looked over, suddenly noticing Blanket. Before he could retaliate, Blanket lifted his leg and slammed his boot against the side of Bill's face, sending him toppling over onto his back. Blanket quickly straddled Bill and raised his right arm above his face. Blanket's fury surged through him and he unleashed his rage, repeatedly punching Bill in the face.

"You! God! Damned! Stupid!" Blanket angrily blurted out words as he wailed against Bill's face. Bill screamed underneath him as Blanket continued to wail on him. Blood flew through the air along with a tooth when Blanket slammed a punch with all of his might against Bill's face. Blanket's arms became slower as he ran out of energy to continue punching. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Fosse retreat into the woods, hunched over and too scared to continue fighting. Blanket finally stood up, panting angrily above Bill.

"Get…out…" Blanket pointed a finger towards the woods. "Before I kick your ass again…" Bill stared up at Blanket in shock.

"Get out!" Blanket screamed.

Bill quickly scrambled to get up, then ran off into the woods, his hands against his face. He stumbled as he retreated into the woods. Blanket took a moment to ensure Bill was really leaving. Blanket panted heavily, exhausted from his efforts. Suddenly, he felt a rush of cold air through his head, and quickly fell to his knees. He placed his hands against the ground for support, the cold air wasn't helping his breathing that much. Blanket twisted his body sideways and fell against the snow onto his back, panting heavily upon impact. He gazed up at the dark grey sky for a moment, the soft orange glow was receding, hinting that nighttime was approaching.

'I…I really won…' Blanket grinned as he closed his eyes, trying to catch his breath. He didn't even feel his nose hurt anymore, the adrenaline had nulled his pain. The initial shock of the fight made Blanket feel void of all energy he had, but he slowly recovered his strength.

A few minutes had seemed to pass by before Blanket felt a small nudge on his shoulder. Blanket felt warmth against the back of his head. He felt his head rise towards the sky, a pair of steady hands supported him.

"Blanket?" Stan asked, unsure of Blanket's condition. Blanket slowly opened his eyes. His vision was blurry for a moment before Stan's face became clear. Blanket suddenly felt a snowflake tap against his nose as he realized it was starting to snow yet again. Blanket examined Stan's face, he had a small cut along his cheek, a small bruise in the same area, and a slightly puffed out lip.

"Are you OK?" Stan asked with a worried look on his face.

Blanket nodded slightly, reassuring Stan.

"Good…I'm glad. Here, sit up." Stan placed his other hand against Blanket's back, keeping his other behind his head, and gently helped him sit up. Blanket felt a dull pain in his upper body around his shoulders, he must have used a lot of muscle when he was obliterating Fosse. Stan sat down next to Blanket, facing him.

"Those guys…sure are jerks." Stan panted. "Thank you for helping me, Blanket."

Blanket shook his head. "No…I should be thanking you…you saved me. If you hadn't shown up…I'd probably be a bloody pulp by now." Blanket hypothesized.

Stan chuckled a bit. "But I did the least amount of damage, and you really did a number on Bill." Blanket couldn't help but grin at Stan's compliment.

"Are _you_ OK, though?" Blanket asked, he didn't like to think Stan was in any pain.

"Me? Yeah, I'm just fine." Stan stretched an arm out to his side and twisted it a bit. Snowflakes piled on top of Stan's brown sleeve as he held his arm out for a few moments, trying to loosen his tensed muscles. Stan pressed his other hand against his shoulder, gently rubbing his aching bones. Blanket suddenly noticed Stan's bare hand.

"You're missing something." Blanket pointed at the hand Stan had placed against his shoulder. His bare hand looked red from the cold. Stan glanced over at it.

"You're right. It must have fell off when I got in that fight. I'm not worried about finding it though, it's probably under a bunch of snow or something."

"Here." Blanket reached out and took Stan's hand in his, then enveloped it with his other hand. "I'll warm you up for a while, it's the least I can do for you showing up like you did…"

Blanket held Stan's hand for a few moments, joy surging through him that Stan didn't pull away from him. He enjoyed feeling close to him.

'Stan…you're always there for me…' Blanket thought to himself. 'I can't believe how much I really like you…' Blanket looked up to see Stan's adorable face, his blue gaze looking gently into Blanket's eyes. Bashfulness washed through Blanket and his face turned red from embarrassment.

Blanket smiled nervously. "How do I look?" he asked. He gulped when he realized what the question sounded like.

"I-I mean, you know? My injuries! Hahaha…" Blanket glanced away nervously.

Stan glanced at Blanket and examined his face for a moment with his innocent blue eyes.

"Well, You have a small bruise on your cheek, a few scratches, and your nose is still a little bloody, but you should be able to just wipe it off…you'll be fine" Stan reported, frowning slightly. "But I'm sorry I was late…if I was here sooner, you probably wouldn't have been hurt at all."

Blanket shrugged. "What were you doing, anyway?" he asked curiously.

Stan glanced left and right, as if checking to make sure nobody else was around. "Can I tell you a secret?"

Excitement rose inside Blanket. "Sure! Anything!" his eyes glimmered.

Stan allowed Blanket to continue warming his bare hand as Stan reached into his front coat pocket with his glove.

"Let's see…it's somewhere in here…" Stan fumbled around in his pocket for a moment before proudly shouting "Ahah!"

Stan pulled out a cleanly folded piece of paper from his pocket.

"Read this! Somebody has been leaving me notes behind the playground bench. You know, the one against the fence. I'm not sure who it is, but this is what they left today. I really wanted to see what they had to say. I would have been on time but I sort of forgot to go collect the note today." Stan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

Blanket gingerly removed his hands from Stan's hand and reached towards the paper. Blanket held it for a moment, examining the outside. The paper wasn't crumpled and in fairly neat condition, as if a female had left it for him. Blanket undid the paper and read it to himself silently.

_"__Hi Stan,_

_I've been watching you for a while now, and I think you're really cute. Maybe we can meet sometime soon?_

_-Your Secret Admirer"_

Blanket took a second to register what he had just read. A pang of sadness and jealousy washed through him.

"Isn't that cool?" Stan asked, a bit excited. "Somebody likes me!"

Blanket formed a straight line with his lips.

"Y-Yeah…I'm happy for you…" Blanket looked solemnly towards the snow.

"It's cool, but I think girls are kind of icky." Stan chuckled. "Besides, Kyle would mess with me all the time if I was to start dating."

Blanket felt a surge of relief rush through his body.

'Good…' he thought. 'I haven't even told Stan how I felt yet…' Blanket had been pondering over his feelings the past few days. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, love seemed so unnatural, especially with another boy. Blanket had to admit though, he was very fond of Stan. At the very least, Stan was seen as his closest friend. Blanket wanted to verbalize this, but was always shy of rejection.

"You know" Stan interrupted Blanket's thoughts. "I feel like if someone really liked me, they would tell me who they are instead of leaving notes, you know?" Stan said. "I'm curious as to who it is, but still…I'd rather meet this person myself, getting notes from a stranger is kind of weird."

Blanket nodded and held the note out to Stan, who took it confidently and folded it back up. He placed it back into his coat pocket.

"That's cool, though." Blanket admitted. "Say Stan, you didn't bring the ice skates, did you?" Blanket asked. Blanket noticed Stan wasn't carrying anything with him, like a backpack.

"Sorry, I didn't." Stan apologized. "It was already getting kind of dark, and I didn't think I would make it in time."

"Oh…I see…" Blanket looked down at the ground, dissapointed.

"But wait! I have good news. I talked to your dad and he said it's OK if you come over and spend the night tonight. Since we're closer to my house, we can just head on over."

"Really?!" Blanket's face lit up with excitement. "I'd love to spend the night!"

Stan smiled. "Then let's go!" Stan worked on standing up, trying to find his balance in the deep snow. He reached down and grabbed Blanket's hand carefully, helping him up off the ground.

"Wait!" Blanket interrupted as Stan began walking. "What will your parents think about our injuries?"

Stan shrugged. "My mom is out grabbing groceries for dinner. We should be able to clean up before she gets home if we hurry. Dad is going out to the bar tonight with my uncle Jimbo, so it'll be just us for a while!"

Blanket smiled. "Sounds like a plan."

"Make sure to keep my hand warm though, I don't want frostbite." Stan implored. Stan squeezed his bare hand against Blanket's glove

"OK!" Blanket said enthusiastically. "But first…" Blanket fidgeted his hand, losing Stan's grip. Stan looked at Blanket questionably. Blanket removed his glove and put it into his coat pocket. He grabbed Stan's bare hand with his.

"Why are you doing that?" Stan asked, confused.

"My punishment for not helping you sooner." Blanket chuckled and gave Stan a cheesy grin.

Stan returned a small smile. "OK. Let's get going then." Stan began to lead Blanket towards the tree line. Snow was falling even heavier now. The two walked into the darkness of the woods, giving Blanket an odd feeling of dread. He never liked dark places. Thankfully, even though the dark was a bit frightening, Stan always knew his way, he made Blanket feel more at ease.

'That's one of the things I like about you…you always know what to do…you've taught me a lot…' Blanket had to admit, he was having fun, being alone with Stan. He always seemed so kind, warm, and always knew how to make Blanket smile. Blanket couldn't help but want to be around him whenever he could. He always looked at Stan as somebody that could help him, teach him new things, and above all be there for him when he needed him, even if he was a few minutes late like today.

'Maybe one of these days…I'll tell you…' Blanket considered.

Blanket and Stan walked home together down the neighborhood sidewalks. The town was seemingly too quiet, as if the quiet little mountain town was enveloped in a large sleep. Stan and Blanket walked under a few street lamps, illuminating some of the falling snow. Blanket looked over at Stan and watched as he breathed into the air. It was almost like a dream to him, walking in this winter wonderland.

It didn't seem like much longer before Blanket finally set foot inside of Stan's house. He began stripping off his winter clothes, hanging them on a nearby coatrack. When Blanket kicked off his boots, Stan began padding up the stairs in his normal clothes. Blanket noticed Stan had removed his hat, something he didn't do that often.

"Come on, let's get cleaned up." Stan beckoned.

Blanket followed Stan up the stairs and into the restroom. Stan quickly flicked on the light, shedding some light in the small room. Stan opened the medicine cabinet behind the mirror and was grabbing a few first aid essentials, including a rag, some rubbing alcohol, and a few band aids.

"It's a good thing you know first aid." Blanket complimented.

"It's easy." Stan said humbly. Stan turned on the faucet, some warm water gushed out. Stan quickly dipped the rag underneath the water, then turned to Blanket.

"Let's get that dirt off your face." Stan gently grabbed underneath Blanket's chin and began to lightly wipe away the dirt on Blanket's cheek. Blanket cringed when Stan hit a sensitive spot on his cheek.

"Sorry." Stan apologized. "I may know first aid, but I'm no doctor." He chuckled lightly, and continued cleaning Blanket's face. A few moments later Stan pulled the rag away.

"Alright…now for some alcohol, there's this little spot on your forehead I didn't notice before. It's not that big but I want to get it." Stan explained. "It might sting a little, but just bear with me." Stan took the rag and reached for the bottle of rubbing alcohol. Stan placed the rag on the neck of the bottle and quickly flipped the bottle upside down, wetting the rag. Stan set the bottle of alcohol back onto the white countertop.

"OK…here we go…" Stan informed.

Stan slowly moved the rag towards Blanket's head. Blanket cringed when the alcohol made contact with his wound. The whole situation reminded him of when Kyle treated the scrape on his knee several months ago. Stan removed the rag for just a moment, letting Blanket calm down from the stinging pain. Stan nodded gently before placing the rag on his wound again. After another brief moment, the pain began to subside.

"If they ask us, just say we were being careless and climbing trees in the woods. We happened to get scraped up a bit is all…" Stan suggested.

"Sounds like a plan to me." Blanket agreed.

"Are you going to be a doctor someday?" Blanket asked.

Stan grinned. "I'm not sure, it's a possibility. But we don't need to worry about that just yet, we're still kids." Stan unwrapped a small, clear square band aid and placed it gently on Blanket's temple.

"There you go. Good as new!" Stan announced.

Just from watching Stan perform first aid, Blanket learned even more about medical treatment. He was honestly surprised at how smart Stan was. Perhaps it was because Blanket was constantly sheltered and always had people do things for him that he never learned these things. Stan was both a mentor, and a friend.

It wasn't long before Stan's mom had arrived home with groceries. Sharon had taken the pleasure of making the boys some sloppy joes for dinner. Stan chuckled watching Blanket struggle to eat the messy food. He was always used to fancy food, he hadn't partaken much in 'commoner' food.

After dinner, Blanket was invited up to Stan's room to either watch a movie or play a video game. Blanket browsed through Stan's collection of DVD's and video games, trying to decide. He happened to notice one of the most popular choices was the 'Terrance and Phillip' series.

"Who are Terrance and Phillip?" Blanket asked, eyeing the DVD box.

"Dude! You don't know who Terrance and Phillip are?!" Stan asked in utter surprise.

"They're only the most hilarious duo I know." A smile spread across Stan's face. "You _have to see this!"_

'He likes them, I guess that would make him happy. Well why not?' Blanket thought.

"Well, I guess you'll have to educate me then!" Blanket answered.

The two boys spent the next few hours watching the first few Terrance and Phillip episodes. Stan and Blanket each conveniently had bean bags to sit on in front of Stan's small TV and Sharon had made them each small bowls of popcorn. Blanket was both surprised and amused at the kind of behavior Terrance and Phillip were showing. As a rich boy, he had always been brought up in a more proper household, and had expected that things of this nature were rude and looked down upon. But sitting in Stan's room, watching the two Canadian actors engage in hilarious situations was something Blanket had enjoyed much more than he had thought he would.

In the middle of the 7th episode, Sharon had stopped by Stan's room, wearing a hot pink robe.

"All right boys, finish up this episode then head off to bed. And Stan, Blanket didn't bring over any clothes, let him borrow some of your pajamas for tonight."

"OK, mom." Stan agreed.

"All right, good night boys, love you both." Sharon left Stan's doorway and proceeded back to her bedroom. Blanket yawned as the ending credits of Terrance and Phillip finally rolled across the screen.

"All right, time for bed." Stan turned off the TV and walked over to his dresser, where he ironically pulled out a pair of his Terrance and Phillip pajamas.

"These are my favorite things to wear to bed, they're really soft. I think they should fit you just fine. You remember where the bathroom is, right?" Stan asked, holding out the two piece nightwear to Blanket.

"Y-Yeah." Blanket nodded and left Stan's room, heading for the bathroom. He worked his way through the darkness and finally found the bathroom light. He stripped off his shirt and pants and put on Stan's pajamas. The warm fleece felt wonderful and snug. Blanket pulled on the collar of the shirt, up to his nose. He took a small wiff of the collar.

'It smells a little like Stan.' Blanket always thought Stan had smelled clean and almost sweet in a way. It was hard to describe, but nonetheless, he enjoyed the way Stan smelled. Blanket took a moment to stare at himself in the mirror. He was a bit surprised just how little his injuries look, Sharon hadn't even said a thing. Blanket grinned and left the bathroom, turning the light off as he left.

Blanket worked his way through the dark and proceeded back into Stan's room. Blanket found Stan's doorway and slowly opened the door. He lightly shut the door behind him and took a second to let his eyes adjust to the darkness. Blanket saw the window at the far side of the room, where Stan's bed was located. Blanket could see the full moon barely illuminating the outside, and saw snowflakes continue to fall. He could see Stan lying on his side, his back towards Blanket, breathing softly.

Blanket walked quietly across the room and moved aside the covers on his side of the bed. Blanket squeezed his way under the covers and laid on his back, staring at the ceiling in front of him. Next to him, he could hear Stan's gentle breathing. It was hypnotic and soothing in a way.

'It's like I'm in a dream…' Blanket thought. He soon became heavy eyed, and dozed off into sleep.

Darkness seemed to trap Blanket for a while in his dreamless sleep. Blanket flicked his eyes open to darkness, for a moment it was as if he was awake. Although he soon realized what he had opened his eyes to was not what he had expected. Blanket was standing in the middle of an empty, snowy field. Colorful snowflakes fell around him and the world was enveloped in absolute darkness except for the colorful aura emitted by the falling snow.

Blanket began to move forward through the darkness, unsure of where he was going or why. It seemed like he was walking for several minutes before he finally heard some noise: the crunching of snow in front of him. Blanket froze, scared of the unknown. He felt dread wash over him as he imagined the events of a few hours ago. He thought about how he had been assaulted by Bill and Fosse, it scared him to the core to think they might do it again. Blanket closed his eyes, bracing himself, before a familiar voice spoke.

"Blanket?" Blanket's eyes flicked open to see Stan in front of him. He was shocked to see him here, this place was so unfamiliar and dark.

"S-Stan?" Blanket stuttered. "Why are you here? Where are we?"

Stan shrugged. "I don't know, but I thought maybe I could tell you something. Something I've wanted to say for a long time."

Blanket tilted his head slightly. "What's that?"

"Blanket…" Stan reached both of his hands forward and grabbed both of Blanket's in his. Stan's hands felt warm and comforting as always. Stan gazed into Blanket's pupils with his shining blue eyes as the snow fell around the two.

Without another word, Stan slowly began leaning in towards Blanket. Blanket saw Stan's breath freeze in the air as his head tilted closer. Blanket's face turned red, but he couldn't help it, he wanted to return the kiss to Stan. Blanket closed his eyes, and leaned forward. At one point, Blanket could feel Stan's breath on his lips. It had seemed perfect, since Blanket was here with Stan, all by himself. Suddenly, Stan's grip loosened and Blanket heard a sickening thump and felt Stan's hands leave Blanket's.

Blanket's eyes darted open and he stared down at the ground in horror. Blanket had to take a moment to absorb what he was seeing. His jaw dropped open and his eyes filled with water at the horror he was witnessing. Blood was oozing out of Stan's neck and his body had turned a pale white color. Blanket's entire body was frozen in shock. He felt like he was in hell.

"S-Stan? W-What? What is this?!" Blanket screamed.

Suddenly a dark shadow emerged in front of Blanket. No matter how close it got to him, its facial or body features could not be seen. The only thing Blanket saw was menacing, red eyes.

"This is what your future will look like." Spoke a voice that sounded demonic. Blanket saw a glint of silver and then felt cold, sharp metal against his neck. Blanket then felt constrained when the shadows wrapped around most of his body, literally freezing him. Blanket cringed when the metal was pressed hard enough to make a small cut against Blanket.

"Be prepared, your death will come sooner than you think." The voice smoke. In the darkness, Blanket saw a hideous red smile, then the figure moved and slit Blanket's throat.

Before the pain hit, Blanket jolted upright out of bed.

"Stan!" Blanket gripped the bed covers in front of him, panting heavily.

"Hmm?" Blanket looked over to see Stan stretching next to him with his eyes still closed. Outside, snow was still falling quietly. Stan's small alarm clock displayed bright blue letters that told Blanket it was only 4A.M. Blanket hugged the covers in fear, trying to calm down from the horrible dream.

"I'm sorry…I didn't mean to wake you…" Blanket apologized. "I had a really bad dream."

Stan yawned. "I have those sometimes too. It happens. Go ahead and go back to-" Stan opened his mouth to yawn once more. "Just go back to bed."

Blanket took a moment to catch his breath before sliding under the covers again. He stared up at the ceiling, recalling the horrible nightmare.

'I don't ever want to see that again…' Blanket thought. He turned his head to stare out the window, watching the snow fall. He practiced steady breathing for a few moments before turning his head towards Stan, whose back was towards him. He saw Stan's covers had slipped off slightly, exposing most of Stan's pajama shirt. Blanket grinned and reached for the covers, gently pulling them over Stan. As he did so, Blanket caught a small wiff of Stan's scent. Blanket wrapped himself under the covers, making sure both him and Stan were warm.

'I don't ever want to lose him…'

Blanket scooted himself over just behind Stan, spooning him. He put one arm around Stan, down across his chest. Blanket could smell the sweet shampoo in Stan's hair, he smelled so good, so sweet. Lying in bed with Stan, pretending there wasn't a care in the world, was what made Blanket happy.

'He's mine, forever.' Blanket squeezed Stan, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

…

Back in the present, Blanket continued watching the rolling waves of the ship as it continued towards its destination. The sun was setting in the distance; the soft glow was receding and nighttime was fast approaching.

Blanket sighed, feeling a pang in his chest.

'I really did like him…once…And now…he's after Kyle…does he really like him? And Stan still doesn't know how I feel…even though I felt like we had something…long ago…' Blanket gently clutched his chest.

'And he's in danger now…everyone is.' Blanket felt anxiety wash over him. He thought about Trent Boyett and his threats. Blanket felt he was being selfish, keeping secrets from Stan. When Blanket remembered Stan, and the moments they shared, he was more inclined to tell Stan the truth, about everything: about his feelings, about the danger he was in, about Trent's plan...

'What if something happens to Stan?' Blanket thought. 'Is my own safety more important than him?' Blanket still remembered the horrible dream he had long ago, where the demonic figure told him of his supposed future. Blanket shuddered, and made his hand into a fist. 'This is so frustrating…'

"Ahem!" The sudden interruption almost made Blanket jump out of his skin. He quickly turned to see one of the ship's crewmembers standing politely in front of him, with his arms to the side.

"Master Jefferson, dinner is almost ready. I've also received a request from Master Stan. He wishes to dine with you tonight. Would that be acceptable?"

Blanket stared off into the distance for a moment, pondering.

"Sir?" The crewmember asked.

"Yes, I have some things I want to speak to him about anyway…" Blanket decided

"Very good, sir. We shall see you in the grand dining room shortly" The crew member nodded politely before heading inside the ship using one of the side doors.

'I've decided. I'm going to tell Stan the truth…about everything… I need to go get ready.' Blanket thought urgently.

Blanket entered the ship through a side door and entered the fitness room. At the far end of the room was a door that opened to a flight of stairs. Blanket's stateroom was located a few floors down. Blanket proceeded through the door and padded down the metal stairs, where he opened another door and stepped out into the stateroom hallway. The ship seemed unusually quiet as Blanket proceeded down the hallway to his stateroom. The lamps were a dim yellow color, almost like lights you would see in a park late at night.

'All of these years, yet I have never told him the truth…and who knows…Maybe he only feels friendship towards Kyle now…besides, Kyle left years ago, Stan doesn't really love him, right?'

Blanket arrived at his stateroom and opened the door into his spacious suite. In front of Blanket, a spacious living room housed fancy couches and armchairs. To the right of the living room, a doorway allowed access to a small kitchen, a dining room. To the left, a set of closed double doors were the entrance to Blanket's bedroom. Blanket walked up to his bedroom doors and opened them, stepping into the dark room. Blanket flicked on the switch, revealing his enormous bed, and the door at the other side of the room, which allowed him access to the master bedroom. Oddly though, Blanket's window, situated next to his bed was open. A gust of sea breeze entered the room, Blanket shivered slightly.

'The Atlantic sure gets cold sometimes.' Blanket thought. He proceeded over to the window and closed it.

To Blanket's right, a large wardrobe held his most fancy, expensive clothing. Blanket opened the mahogany doors, and chose his most expensive suit coat, a pair of black slacks, a black dress shirt, and a red tie, along with some dress shoes. Blanket also chose a red tie to contrast his dark dress shirt.

'I'm going to pretend this is a date…with just the two of us…' Blanket was standing in front of the mirror in his bathroom after getting dressed. He was working on tying his tie. He eyed himself in the mirror.

'I've grown up a little bit…I know Stan has…'

He finally pulled the knot tight and straightened his collar.

'I'm not going to let Trent hurt them.' Blanket promised. 'It's time to tell Stan the truth. I'm tired of running.'

Blanket smiled at himself in the mirror before leaving his stateroom. He stepped back into the hallway, taking a right, towards the nearest staircase. At the end of the hallway to his right, Blanket ascended a spiral staircase to the upper deck, where the grand dining room was located. Blanket opened a door after ascending three flights of stairs and stepped into an enormous, fancy wooden hallway. Chandeliers and light fixtures hung over head, and expensive paintings were nailed to the walls. The ship was truly decadent.

The hallway opened up into a larger, square waiting room, where customers would typically stand to wait for their friends to join them before entering the dining room. A few wooden tables were neatly places around the room, with a vase of flowers on top. In front of Blanket, a pair of large translucent doors was being guarded by two dining coordinators, who were standing at either side of the door in white outfits. Blanket approached the doors wordlessly.

"Welcome, sir." The crew members greeted him simultaneously as they opened the doors. Blanket stepped into the enormous dining room. Blanket assumed the dining room had to make up at least one-fourth of the ships length. Directly in front of Blanket, in the center of the room, was a large, round table that would sit up to twenty people, covered in a beautiful gilded tablecloth. Atop the table were a few flowers vases, as well as pitchers of water. A large chandelier hung overhead. This was truly where the captain and VIP members would sit, Blanket had the pleasure of enjoying the table to himself, and eventually Stan. There were two seats at both ends of the table, so that two people could sit at either end. Blanket sat down on the end closest to him, sitting down in the comfy wooden chair.

Several coordinators gathered at the side of the table. Blanket didn't bother counting, but he knew there were more than ten. Blanket wanted to enjoy a nice dinner with Stan, then speak to him in private after words.

One of the coordinators stepped forward. "Master Stan will be here in a moment, sir." The butler informed.

"Excellent, thank you." Blanket said. He took a few moments to glance around. The ship was incredibly quiet, it was almost disturbing in a way.. The only sound that could be heard was the soft ticking of a nearby grandfather clock.

"What time is dinner served?" Blanket asked one of the coordinators.

"On the hour, so in about one minute." Answered the man in white.

"Yes…I see." Blanket sighed. "You can wait for Stan, correct?" Blanket asked. "I wanted to dine with him."

The coordinator nodded. "Of course, sir."

A few more ticks of the grandfather clock went by. As the chiming of the grandfather clock reached its hour, it let out several loud _dongs_. Blanket glanced around him, Stan was absent and the crew members remained at attention.

When the final dong sounded, Blanket heard a clicking sound behind his head and felt something press against the back of his skull.

"Good evening, Blanket Jefferson." Trent's voice sounded.

Blanket's eyes widened and he sat in the chair, unmoving as the coordinators each reached into their suit coats and pulled out guns. They all clicked their guns, pointing them at Trent.

"Master Jefferson!" One of them shouted.

Blanket kept a plain face as he slowly turned his head behind him.

"And hello to you, Trent Boyett." Blanket glared up at Trent, who was smirking down at him. Trent was wearing his usual leather attire. Blanket looked into the barrel of the gun Trent was pointing at his face.

"I thought you didn't use guns?" Blanket jabbed.

"They're just easier to control weaklings like you." Trent suggested. "Oh, and by the way…"

Trent Boyett snapped his fingers. Blanket watched around him as several of his crew members ran into the room. Blanket watched in horror as they all pulled guns from their coats and pointed them at him.

"What are you doing?!" Blanket shouted. "Point them at him!"

"You know how you told that supposed Crew Member you were suddenly interested in talking with one of the boys, alone? You weren't going to spill a secret, were you?"

Blanket furrowed his brow.

'Damn it…so some of my servants are actually on his side…'

Blanket turned his head forward and stood up from his chair slowly with his arms extended in the air. Blanket slowly turned around and faced Trent.

"How long have you had spies on this ship? You may think I'm dumb, but in fact, I calculated this all along…"

Trent raised an eyebrow for a moment in confusion. Blanket began walking slowly away from Trent towards the group of butlers that were on Trent's side. Guns remained pointed at both Trent and Blanket, a nasty fight was imminent.

"What are you doing?" Trent asked.

Blanket looked behind him, glaring at Trent.

"I'm hoping to kill you, to be honest." Blanket's guards looked dumbfounded at Blanket's words.

"Let me tell you something, Trent. I didn't just disappear and do nothing all these years." Blanket shut his eyes for a moment, focusing.

Suddenly, the room began to rattle slightly. The tables shook and one of the vases fell over, shattering glass everywhere. A dim white aura began to surround Blanket. When he opened his eyes, they were a beautiful crystal blue color.

Trent Boyett ran for Blanket, slipping a knife out from his sleeve. Trent jumped into the air and lashed his knife down towards Blanket. Blanket remained emotionless and he sidestepped and grabbed Trent's wrist, holding it in place for a moment. Trent's arm shook with anger as he tried to stab Blanket.

Blanket smiled.

"I think you've met your match, Trent."

Trent smiled.

"Shoot the ones on Trent's side!" Blanket ordered his servants. Blanket quickly ducked towards the ground. Blanket's servants began unleashing their guns on Trent's henchmen. They were quickly plowed down, however not a single bullet penetrated Trent. He stood in the middle of the gunfire, not a single bullet piercing his skin.

Blanket watched as blood flew through the air. Some of it splattered across Trent's face. Blanket ducked under the table as his servants continued firing. Sickening thuds were heard as Trent's henchmen all collided to the ground. A trickle of blood leaked down Trent's cheek, and down onto his upper lip.

Blanket watched in horror as Trent licked his upper lip.

"Blood…I wonder what yours tastes like…" Trent mused. Blanket saw Trent's body begin to emit a slight red aura. It almost felt like some extra weight was being added on Blanket's shoulders.

'I have to get away from here.' Blanket decided. 'I can't sink the ship with everyone on it…I either have to kill him or lead him away.'

Blanket quickly stood up from the ground and reached into his suit pocket for a small knife. He ran towards Trent and swiped the knife towards his throat. Trent quickly flicked a knife from his sleeve, and the two collided their small daggers for a moment. Sharp noises were heard as Blanket and Trent both pressed against each other.

"You aren't hurting anyone, you bastard!"

Trent quickly pulled his knife away and stabbed it towards Blanket. Blanket sidestepped the jab only to be met with several more attempts. Blanket dodged them in succession, but it wasn't easy. Trent was extremely quick with his lunges. Trent suddenly moved his body forward, making Blanket stumble backwards.

Trent came in for a lunge towards Blanket's chest. Blanket leaned far backwards so that the knife went over his head. When Trent began retracting the knife, Blanket kicked upwards hard, making Trent lose his grip and sending the knife flying up into the ceiling. Blanket began running away from Trent, who quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out a knife.

Trent hurled the knife at Blanket, who rolled along the ground to dodge it.

"Don't shoot him!" Blanket warned, looking over at his henchman for a moment. The distraction was enough for Trent to quickly appear in front of Blanket. Trent grabbed him by the collar and hurled him across the dining room table. As Blanket slid across the dining room table, Trent quickly dashed towards the table and leaped up on top of it. He pulled out a knife and stabbed downwards towards Blanket's face. Blanket quickly rolled to the side, sliding off the table.

'I've got to get out of here!' Blanket thought. He dashed back towards the translucent doors, zooming outside. Trent was hot in pursuit. Blanket looked behind him to see Trent was hurling yet another knife at him. Blanket tried to dodge it, but it sliced the side of Blanket's cheek. Blanket cringed from the stinging pain.

'Damn it!' Blanket thought, continuing to run. 'He's fast! I need to get to the stairs!'

Blanket proceeded down the luxurious hallway, making sure to look behind him. Trent was suddenly absent.

'What the hell?' Blanket wondered, slamming through the side door and running up the stairs. Blanket ran out of a side door back onto the deck of the ship. Blanket looked both directions, deciding which was to go.

'Towards the stern!' Blanket decided, since it was closer. He ran along the deck, glancing around him for any signs of Trent.

Blanket suddenly heard the sound of gunshots further behind him, followed by a blood curdling scream. Blanket twisted back and saw a body fly through the air off the side of the ship and fall into the depths of the Atlantic Ocean.

Blanket walked towards the bars at the back end of the ship and hopped on top of them. He stared down into the black water. A full moon shined brightly overhead. Blanket sighed.

'I'll fight him down there.' Blanket leaped off the bars and slowly descended towards the Atlantic Ocean. His white aura began to shine more brightly. When Blanket's feet made contact with the water, a layer of thick ice formed underneath him. Up in the sky, Blanket saw Trent soar through the air. He twisted and landed in front of Blanket several yards away, standing on top of the water, like a God. The ship continued sailing as Blanket at Trent glared at each other.

"Heh, a fight on the Atlantic Ocean, huh?" Trent said casually. "This ought to be fun."

"There's one mistake you made, Trent?" Blanket informed him.

"What's that?" Trent asked.

"Water is all I need to take you down." Blanket's aura became stronger and send huge sound waves rippling across the water underneath him. Trent watched as water began gushing up from the ocean. The water circled around Blanket's back, and molded into the shape of wings. The water formed to ice in an instant, sending sparkles and crystals flying by Blanket.

"I can make whatever I want to out of the elements around me." Blanket explained, his ice wings sparkling under the moonlight.

"And…" Blanket focused once more. Water slowly gushed out of the ocean and formed around Blanket hands. He opened both of them. The water instantly crystalized yet again and two sharp ice swords appeared in Blanket's hands.

"I can change the state of almost anything around me." Blanket informed.

Trent began to laugh.

"I don't believe this…I didn't even know you had an aura at all. Well, might as well have some fun and show you part of mine, right?"

Trent held both palms out in front of him and pointed them towards the ground. A red aura surrounded him as he focused intensely. Blanket watched in amusement as two sword holsters appeared at his sides. The swords had handles like a general would carry in the military. Trent reached down and slowly removed them from their holsters. As he pulled them out, they began to glow a dark red color.

Blanket focused his aura towards his wings. Slowly, Blanket was lifted off the ground. A stream of blood ran down the side of Blanket's lip. His veins were popping out of his head in fury as he prepared to attack Trent.

'I'm going to stop him…for Stan's sake…' Blanket promised.

"I'll send you to hell where you belong!" Blanket screamed. He leaned forward and soared towards Trent. Waves splashed up several feet behind him as he flew with incredible speed towards Trent. Blanket readied both of his swords, preparing to clash with Trent. Trent splashed water behind him as he ran for Blanket.

The two drew their swords back, preparing to clash under the moonlit night.


	55. BS SM BJ: Fury, Hope, and the Future

**_Author's Note:_**_ Well, folks, the arc finale is finally here! There may or may not be a little cliffhanger that gets picked up on later but there's so much happening in the story right now I need to transition onto what we've all been waiting for..._

_Life update: I recently achieved my associates degree in Computer Science and have entered the second half of my program. I should have a bachelor's next year in March. I'm sorry it's been so long between chapters, life keeps me extremely busy and It's been hard to keep up with everything I've wanted to do. Nonetheless I thank you all for your patient and hope you enjoy this newest addition. Enjoy, love you all, you inspire me! 3_

Chapter 55 – Hope, Tears, and The Future

**POV: Leopold 'Butters' Stotch **

Butters Stotch sat on his knees in front of the glass living room coffee table as the news aired on the living room television. A half-full bowl of cereal sat on top of the shiny coffee table surface. The glass was completely transparent, not one smear existed. This was due to the fact that Butter's parents were always clean freaks, or rather, they expected Butter's to clean everything. Butters lightly stirred his spoon around inside of his bowl, careful not to spill any milk. Linda and Stephen sat on the couch behind Butters. The very fact that his parents could watch his every move gave Butters great anxiety. One wrong move and he would surely be grounded.

The news reporter was droning on about South Park's economy, nothing too new and exciting. Butters continued eating his food in silence, unsure of what to talk about with his parents. He had a hard time stirring up conversation with them, because he was restrained by so many things. There was one thing even his parents didn't know, that Butters had kept a secret to this very day.

"So Butters, are you going to see your friends today?" Butters shuddered slightly, the question snapping him out of his thoughts. His eyes grew wide as he hoped his parents hadn't grown suspicion of him. After a moment of silence Steven called again:

"Butters?"

Butters silently stared at the floor underneath him, analyzing the carpet patterns. He hated when his father asked him this question in particular. Butters was a sad case, both him and his parents knew he had a hard time maintaining or making friends. Everyone seemed to want to step all over him, taking advantage of his innocent soul. Hardly anybody was courteous enough to be respectful, it had seemed. After all, South Park was full of liars and bigots, at least according to Butters.

"Maybe, dad. I'm going to the park after breakfast, hopefully there will be somebody there." Butters had to be very specific about his plans, his parents always demanded to know the details. They were quite nosy, though never really checked up on Butters. He used this to his advantage from time to time. Nonetheless, he was waiting for the day his parents would discover him lying, and ground him for who knows how long.

Suddenly, the sound of intense music blasted through the T.V. as the news station returned. Butters lifted his head in wonder, as the mood in his living room seemed to become very serious.

"As we had reported a week ago, the search for the three missing South Park boys is still continuing. The three missing boys were last seen approximately three weeks ago. Stan Marsh, Kenny McCormick, and Eric Cartman still remain to be found. The parents of Stan Marsh explained they had found a note, saying that their son had disappeared to accomplish something, and to not worry about his location. Nonetheless, the worry of the parents is still very severe. "

The television suddenly switched to a recording of Sharon Marsh clinging to Randy's shoulder. Sharon seemed to have puffy red eyes and looked extremely tired. Butters instantly felt sympathy for her.

"We miss him so much…" Sharon said tiredly.

"Stan, we miss you son, please come home…" Randy looked at the camera with a desperate look. Butters felt a weird feeling inside of his chest looking at Randy's eyes. Butters felt terrible for Stan's parents, he hoped he would be found soon, along with the others. Butters found it ironic how he still cared about the boys, regardless of how they had treated him in the past.

A group of photographs appeared of Stan, Kenny, and Eric. Butters glanced at the image of Kenny without saying another word.

'I wonder what you're up to…Kenny…It's weird…Three weeks have passed since they were reported missing…' Butters pondered. When he had heard the initial announcement of their disappearance on the news, he couldn't believe his ears. Butters would occasionally wander the streets of South Park, hoping to catch a glimpse of the boys, but it was all to no avail. It had seemed so unusual not seeing them around. Even though they were always getting themselves into mischief, Butters had to admit they added a little bit of life to the town. Butters wondered when they would actually return, and wished deeply for their safety.

"That's just awful, that those boys left like that. I can't imagine how their parents all feel." Linda commented, her tone seemed ambiguous to Butters. "Those boys should have known better than to scare their families like that. It doesn't matter why they left…they should have let their parents know..." Linda sighed.

Butters felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He almost jumped, but managed to maintain his calm.

"I'm sure they're OK, Butters." Stephen tried to comfort his son. It was interesting his own father suspected Butters of feeling sad about their disappearance, Butters typically felt like his parents never understood him. More importantly, Butters honestly wasn't sure how he felt about the boys disappearing. He always heard of them getting wrapped up in crazy schemes, so to a degree, some trouble in South Park seemed to be prevented due to their extended absences. Nonetheless, Butters had noticed something that had bothered him lately.

'It's as if the whole town is changing…' Butters thought worriedly. He put a hand over his stomach, clutching his shirt slightly. A strange feeling enveloped him. He wasn't sure if he was nervous or worried, he just knew something inside of him seemed to be changing.

Butters had noticed subtle changes around the town; not as many South Park residents have been seen outside, which was especially unusual during the late summer. It was as if the town was more on edge and cautious, afraid to go outside for some reason.

Butters put the last spoonful of cereal in his mouth, chewing his food lightly before placing the spoon back in the bowl and standing up in front of his parent.

"May I be excused?" Butters asked his parent's politely.

"Yes, you're excused." Linda replied.

"Thank you." Butters nodded. He walked away from the living room, a bit tense. He always had to be respectful towards his parents, regardless of the situation he was in.

Butters silently left the living room and brought his bowl into the kitchen. He rinsed it out and grabbed a nearby sponge, wetting it under the warm, flowing water.

'I have to wash my dishes immediately after I'm done…otherwise I'm grounded for acting like a slob.' Butters thought bitterly. Butters added some soap to the sponge and began to scrub the inside of the bowl, making sure it was completely void of any leftover crumbs. Butters dried the bowl off and put it away in a nearby cabinet, where the dishes and glasses inside were neatly organized in a symmetrical fashion.

Immediately after he put the bowl away, Butters heard the living room TV turn off. A few moments later, Stephen walked into the kitchen.

"Butters." Stephen called

"Yes, dad?" Butters replied, making sure to make eye contact with his father.

"Your mother and I are headed out to run some errands, can we trust you to go outside and see your friends today?" Stephen asked.

"Yes, you can count on me." Butters said, pretending to be enthusiastic.

"Well we're about to head out, so behave yourself." Stephen requested.

"I will." Butters obliged.

"That's my boy." Steven complimented him. "I'll see you later, Butters." Steven left the room. Butters turned back towards the kitchen sink and looked out the window into his backyard. The grass swayed slightly as a warm breeze passed through. Butters put his hands behind his back and observed the nature outside.

"I think I'll go out like I enjoy today…" Butters thought.

A few moments later, Butters heard the sound of his garage door opening. He listened carefully for the sound of his parent's car pulling out of his driveway, then the garage door closing yet again. Immediately after his parent's had left, Butters stood in the silent kitchen for a few more moments.

"I need to go get ready." Butters thought. He left the kitchen and proceeded upstairs towards his bedroom. Butters pushed open the door to his bedroom, stepping into his fairly spacious living quarters. Butters walked over to his nightstand, and pulled it out slowly. Inside, a small, black plastic bag sat stationary. Butters pulled it out of the drawer carefully, placing the silver holders around his wrists before he proceeded to his closet. Butters opened his closet door and stepped inside, glancing to his left at the back corner, where a medium-sized cardboard box awaited him.

"Nobody knows…my real identity…"

Butters proceeded to the cardboard box, and undid the top. On the surface, a lot of knick knacks Butters had as a child greeted him. But Butters wasn't interested in these artifacts of his personal history, but rather what lied beneath them.

Butters reached far into the box, until he felt what he was seeking: a plastic surface. Butters gripped the plastic and pulled it upwards past all of the objects covering it. Butters pulled out a small plastic case, with neatly folded clothing inside of it. Butters smiled when he looked at the patterns on the clothes: Flowers with beautiful yellow and white petals.

Butters held the case close to his chest for a moment. He unzipped the side of the case, giving himself access to his feminine clothing. Butters lightly set the case on top of the box, and began undoing his shirt buttons

'Nobody knows…yet I don't care…' Butters thought as he slipped his shirt off.

'When Butters is away…he becomes margarine…' Butters set down the small black bag and pulled a beautiful, long dress out from the plastic case nearby. Butters raised his arms above his bare chest and let the dress lip down over his body. He shook his head slightly, allowing his hair to fluff out a bit. Butters liked the way the silk felt against his body, it felt more natural and comfortable.

Butters quickly grabbed the nearby black plastic bag and pulled it close to him. He reached inside, pulling out some mascara.

'Marjorine is my identity…my identity is who I am…' Butters thought.

Butters left the comfort of his room and proceeded to the nearby bathroom, ready to prepare himself for the day ahead.

'Would you love Marjorine, Kenny?'

Butters looked at himself in the mirror, or rather, Marjorine did.

**…**

**POV: **Stan Marsh

Stan stood at the bow of the ship staring out into the dark ocean in front of him. He held a navy fleece blanket around his body, clutching it to his chest with one hand. The cool sea wind blew through Stan's hair, he didn't feel like wearing his usual blue cap tonight, he had left that in his temporary quarters. Stan looked up towards the sky, noticing several stars were shining as the ship was nearing its final destination. Stan was waiting patiently for the city of Stockholm to appear in the distance. He hadn't been able to sleep with all the anticipation.

Stan heard the sound of light footsteps behind him.

"Stan?" called a muffled voice. The raven glanced behind himself, taking in the familiar, covered face of Kenny McCormick. He was wearing his usual orange parka and pants, with his hood over his head so mostly his eyes appeared. Stan and Kenny locked their blue eyes for a moment. Stan formed a hard line with his lips and stared back ahead for a moment without a word.

Kenny hesitated for a moment, then walked forwards to Stan's left side. Stan let out an exhale through his nose and glanced over at Kenny. His eyes appeared tired, and Kenny seemed to notice.

"Hey." Stan greeted quietly.

"You're up late…Is everything all right?" Kenny stepped in front of Stan and pulled himself up to the bars of the ship, sitting on top, unafraid of falling into the depths of the ocean. Kenny had a natural habit for putting himself into dangerous situations.

"I'm fine…I just wanted to be outside for a bit…" Stan said, almost inaudible. Kenny glanced at Stan in disbelief of his explanation.

"If you want to talk about anything, I'm here." Kenny offered.

Stan shook his head. "Not right now, maybe later." He stated.

Kenny shrugged and looked up at the stars above his head.

"You know, sometimes I wonder just what Kyle is doing." Kenny mused. "He's my friend, too…I do wonder things, like if he's watching the stars, what kind of friends he's made…what he's doing with them now…Do you think he still has that red fro?" Kenny chuckled slightly.

Stan couldn't help but smile a bit.

"I don't know…maybe he does…he may even be taller now…" Stan suggested.

Tonight felt odd for Stan. The young boy felt oddly calm, yet a strange sense of nervousness washed over him. Stan couldn't believe how daring he was to just depart from home, even his whole country in the course of a few weeks. Even through all of these efforts, Stan had to be honest: he was afraid to face the truth, whatever that might be.

"Our parents are probably so mad at us right now…" Kenny pondered. "But I'm sure they're worried too…I'm thinking about writing them a letter or finding a way to call them when we arrive." Kenny admitted. "My family doesn't have a lot of money so they don't exactly have enough to spend on travel arrangements to go looking for me…the least I could do is let them know I'm OK…" Kenny decided.

"I should send a letter to my parents, too." Stan agreed. "I think I was a little too hasty about leaving…I mean I really think the reason was important, but maybe I could have spoken with more people. Maybe they would have been concerned too, and who knows, maybe we could have done something about it that didn't require running away…" Stan sighed.

"To be honest, I'm not sure why I left…but to be honest….something about South Park has felt strange to me…" Stan said in a monotone voice.

"I don't know if I like it or not…but something about South Park feels like the entire world is changing…like a new wind is blowing, and things are about to just become 'different.'" Stan suggested.

Kenny shrugged. "South Park is a strange town in general, it's not necessarily unnatural to see change. Besides, you shouldn't worry too much about what's happening back home, everything is probably the same as it was before in the sense it's a quiet little mountain town. Besides, we should see Stockholm in a few hours, you have something to look forward to!"

"I know." Stan agreed. Stan lowered his head slightly and clutched at his blanket harder.

"Kenny…There is one thing I wanted to talk to you about…we haven't really spoken about this much, but…" Stan took a deep breath before continuing.

"That night we left South Park…who was that that attacked us?" Stan glanced at Kenny with a serious expression. Stan noticed Kenny's eyes fill with fear for a moment. Kenny's lips formed a hard line.

"I don't know." Kenny responded.

Stan shrugged. "It beats me. But listen, something has been bothering me about that. Whoever that was, they were shouting weird things. Do you remember them shouting 'Their blood is mine!'?' Stan asked.

Kenny nodded. "I do…"

"Why us? Why didn't he attack someone else? And why specifically was it the night we decided to leave?" Stan asked.

Stan and Kenny made silent eye contact.

"That's part of the reason why I feel like the world is changing…" Stan suggested. "It seems everyone around South Park is feeling some change. We don't know what this change is, what it will be, what our status will be in the future…but I think something is wrong, Kenny. These things aren't natural. Sure South Park isn't exactly your normal town, but what's with these crazy people suddenly appearing? Who are they? And why South Park?" Stan asked.

Kenny sighed. "I don't know. To admit it, I've been getting similar feelings, too. I almost died in case you forgot."

Stan locked hard, concerned eyes on Kenny. "I do remember. Don't you ever scare me like that again, Kenny." Stan asked sincerely.

Kenny frowned. "We're friends, if I can protect you…"

"It doesn't matter if you can protect me or not, what matters is you stay alive!" Stan scolded. "Don't you ever, _ever_ risk your life for me like that again?" Stan stomped over to Kenny, still holding one hand over his chest to secure the Blanket. Stan reached another hand out to grip Kenny's parka collar. Stan held Kenny firmly for a moment, Kenny didn't budge as Stan let his frustration exert itself from his body.

"Please…" Stan lifted his head inches from Kenny's face. His eyes glimmered as his grip loosened on Kenny.

"I don't want to lose another friend..."

"I'm sorry…Kenny…" Stan released his grip from Kenny's shirt and began walking away.

"I need some sleep, I've been real-"

Stan suddenly heard the sound of quick footsteps behind him. He began to turn around, surprised at Kenny. Suddenly, Kenny quickly wrapped his arms around Stan's waist. A gust of cool sea air passed by Stan and Kenny. Kenny's parka hood slipped behind his head as he embraced Stan from behind. Stan caught a whiff of Kenny's freshly shampooed hair. He figured Kenny was loving the complementary things Blanket had provided him.

The blonde held Stan for a few moments. Kenny's grip wasn't too powerful, but it made Stan feel more secure about where he was. For a moment, everything seemed a little more OK.

"No matter what, I promise I'll always be here to help you." Kenny expressed.

Stan returned an embrace to Kenny, and allowed his head to fall into Kenny's chest.

"Thank you…Kenny."

**…**

**POV:** Blanket Jefferson

"So…my dad is really gone?" A young Blanket Jefferson asked. Blanket was standing on the sidewalk outside of his mansion. The front gates were open, rain trickled down his concrete driveway and into the street. Red and blue lights were flashing all around him as the rain poured down heavily from a dark evening sky. Blanket stood solemnly under a black umbrella.

"Master Jefferson, I can't imagine what you're going through, I'm sure you are very upset right now." Blanket looked up at the black sky as one of his servants tried comforting him.

"No…" Blanket shook his head. "I was never that close to him…but…" The first thing that popped into Blanket's mind was Stan, his favorite friend.

'I know I'll miss him…' Blanket thought. It was no longer safe for Blanket to live in South Park. His father had made arrangements previously so that if anything happened to him, Blanket would be relocated. Blanket wasn't allowed to say goodbye to any of his friends, he had to leave very soon for the safety of his own life. The limousine was parked behind him, with several of Blanket's bodyguards sitting inside and guarding the perimeter.

"Master Jefferson, we should be departing."

Blanket nodded. The boy turned away from his home and walked towards the limousine, his butler carrying the umbrella over him so that he didn't get drenched from the downpour. A man standing by the back door of the limo opened it widely for Blanket.

"Master Jefferson." The Butler held out his hand, gesturing for Blanket to climb inside. Blanket didn't make eye contact with the butler. He hopped in the back seat and stared at his mansion. Raindrops raced down the tinted glass window as the limousine began driving away from Blanket's used to be home.

'I hope we meet again…Stan…'

The limousine continued through the night, and Blanket traveled to his destination, where he would start a new life.

**…**

A gust of air flew between Blanket and Trent as they clashed under the moonlight, sending the ocean waves flying several feet in the air on either side of them. Blanket focused his white aura in his shoulders, using his icy wings to fly upwards. Blanket loomed high above Trent. He leaned forward sharply and zoomed down towards Trent, pulling both of his ice swords far behind his back.

"Come on, kiddo…" Trent smirked under the light, his swords lightly glinting from the moonlight. "You're too predictable…" Trent pressed his feet towards the water. He suddenly flashed up from the watery surface towards Blanket, with both of his metal swords at the ready. Trent and Blanket met each other's swords in mid-air, sending a sickening screech across the Atlantic. Blanket was shocked when Trent remained stationary in mid-air instead of falling to the surface.

"I can stand anywhere I want to." Trent grinned, pressing his swords harder against Blanket's. Blanket gritted his teeth as he tried to beat Trent.

"I can chase you down and kill you, even if you try to fly away!" Trent quickly jutted his swords back then slammed them upwards Blanket. Blanket used his wings to elevate himself slightly, he met his swords with Trent, trying to push him back, but he was unsuccessful. Trent overwhelmed him and sent his body flying a few feet upwards. Blanket pointed his swords downwards and tried dropping straight down on top of Trent. Blanket raised both of his swords high above his head and attempted to slam both down on top of Trent.

"If you think you can kill me like that, you're sorely mistaken!" Trent used just one of his swords to clash upwards and defend against Blanket's attack. Blanket hovered in mid-air for a moment. Trent raised an eyebrow when he noticed a white aura surrounding his own sword. A small layer of ice formed over it, turning Trent's sword into thick ice.

"What?" Trent asked in surprise.

Blanket swiped his right sword downward towards Trent's frozen over sword. On contact, a shrieking sound passed above the Atlantic Ocean. Shards of Trent's ice sword flew into the water underneath him. Trent began to lower his body towards the surface of the Atlantic.

Blanket followed Trent closely. His feet touched the ground, forming a small, circular layer of ice around his feet as he landed. Blanket pressed against the ice, giving him some friction to launch himself towards Trent, who had just landed on the water. Blanket swung both of his swords towards Trent's chest, but Trent took the opportunity to duck backwards, causing both of Blanket's swords to swipe in quick motions above his head. Trent could hear the air wave sharply above him.

Blanket quickly used his momentum to bring his foot into Trent's leg in an upwards motion. Trent skidded backwards several feet. Blanket removed his feet from the icy surface beneath him yet again and flew forward with incredible velocity. Trent tried to regain his balance as Blanket stabbed both of his swords wildly towards Trent, who dodged every one. Blanket slashed in fury, screaming angrily at Trent.

'I can't let him hurt them!' Blanket vowed. Blanket raised one of his swords and swiped at a horizontal angle, aiming for Trent's neck. Blanket was shocked when Trent quickly raised an arm and grabbed Blanket's sword in his hand, squeezing his palm around it. Trent glared down at the ocean, his facial expression hidden from Blanket.

Blanket saw Trent squeeze the sword harder with a black glove. Blanket's sword shook slightly in Trent's grip. Blanket's eyes widened when blood dripped out from Trent's glove.

'Now!' Blanket thought. The white aura spread towards Trent's arm. Blanket waited for a small layer of ice to form over Trent's body, but surprise hit him when nothing happened.

'How did he prevent my ability from reaching him?' Blanket wondered.

"What are you?" Blanket asked, his brows furrowing.

"I could ask you the same thing. I didn't know you had it in you to attack someone like me…" Trent squeezed the sword harder, making his blood well out faster.

"You're actually strong enough I'd be honored to show you what I'm really made of…" Trent looked up at Blanket. Blanket's eyes widened when he gazed into Trent's. They looked like a sharp red color, almost demonic-like. Trent's malicious gaze instilled fear within Blanket, making him want to run.

"Taste blood." Trent ordered.

In an instant, Blanket watched as two streams of blood shot out from Trent's hand and circle around his ice sword. Blanket focused his energy on his sword, changing it back to water before the blood could surround it. Blanket quickly used his wings to proceed a few feet into the sky, away from Trent. Blanket gazed down as his attacker, who was smiling. Around Trent's wrist, a small ring of blood was circling around him. The blood was moving smoothly, as if it was part of a stream.

"You know, there's a reason I need blood." Trent quickly removed his glove and threw it into the ocean, revealing a large gash across his hand. Trent moved his hand towards his mouth and licked his own blood. Blanket cringed at his gross gesture.

"It tastes good…" Trent mused.

He let his injured hand rest for a moment. Blood dripped from it, turning the smallest amount of water underneath him a sickly red color.

Blanket felt sweat roll down his face, he was starting to feel very fatigued from all the fighting.

'I can't drag this out forever, I need to do what I can to stop him…' Blanket thought.

"Say kid…do you have any idea why I'm so interested in you?" Trent asked.

Blanket remained silent at his question.

"Let me ask you something, where do you think these powers come from? And I'm just curious, but would you believe me if I said I know who created these powers in the first place?" Trent mused.

"Like I care." Blanket responded. "All I know…is that this is the night you die!" Blanket gripped the hilt of his remaining ice sword and pointed it upwards towards the full moon. Water gushed up from all directions of the ocean and formed an enormous ball above Blanket's sword, hundreds of feet in the sky.

"What's this, one of your ultimate moves?" Trent guessed. The circle of blood around Trent's wrist began moving slightly. The blood began to encircle around Trent's waist, trailing about his body.

Blanket gripped his sword hard and focused on the white ball in the sky.

"Ice arena!" Blanket chanted. At his words, the large ball of water exploded in midair, sending streams of water all around Blanket and Trent. The area around Blanket's feet shot out with ice, zooming underneath Trent's feet. A large circular surface of ice spread out rapidly towards the edges of where the water was falling. The water that poured down from above seemed to glimmer in midair. A snapping sound was heard and suddenly the water was changed into dense, shiny crystal-like ice. All around Trent and Blanket, an enormous crystal arena separated them from the outside world. The illuminated glittering offered some light inside the arena. Blanket flicked his sword down to his side.

Trent looked down and grinned at the floor underneath him. He tapped his foot lightly against the icy surface.

"Got to hand it to you, that's some impressive magic you've got there." Trent stated.

A trickle of blood ran down Blanket's cheek. His eyes began to shine a duller blue, he felt he couldn't fight for much longer.

"This is my ice arena." Blanket explained. "While inside, everything is colder than the outside world. I'm resistant to cold temperatures, as you can probably tell. But you know, the cold is also useful for slowing things down, such as yourself…" Blanket explained, slowly raising his sword and pointing it towards Trent, his blood still encircling his body.

"I'm not sure what kind of demon you are, but I can't allow you to leave here alive. The minute you threatened my friends…" Stan, Kenny, and Cartman flashed inside Blanket's mind.

"You signed a death warrant." Blanket stated.

"Flash sword." Blanket chanted.

In an instant, another sword in Blanket's other hand, he was armed with two ice swords, yet again. Blanket crossed both of his swords in an X formation.

"You should have known that I would want to kill you since you threatened me at the hotel." Blanket stated. "To be honest, I've never killed anyone before. I've used this power, but only a long time ago..." Blanket pictured the person who gave him his power, and the training he endured. He couldn't remember his trainer's face very well, he kept it hidden in the dark, snowy world. All Blanket could remember was a soft male voice and a set of glimmering blue eyes, like himself. Other than that, the figure wore all black, but told Blanket all about auras, their powers, and how to use them. Blanket didn't want to use his power on Earth to avoid any threats towards him. It only happened to be the case that he was using his power because he was away from everyone, out of direct eyesight from others. Blanket's swords began glowing with a bright white aura. The young boy's eyes dilated slightly.

"This is where you're going to die. Frozen inside of here, and you'll never see the outside world again." Blanket explained confidently.

Trent snickered and tilted his head halfway to the right. He placed his right hand against his hip and began to laugh hysterically.

"You seriously think that's the case, kid?" Trent smiled, his eyes growing their sinister red color. Trent began walking towards Blanket, his boots thumping against the icy surface of the arena.

"Show me what you've got, then!" Trent zoomed forwards towards Blanket.

Blanket pulled his swords back behind his back. He grunted as he swung his ice swords in a sweeping motion. At the peak of the arc of his swing, small icicles were fired from the swords, Trent held up his hand and proceeded forward as a translucent red barrier appeared in front of his palm. The ice slapped against the barrier, and pounced off uselessly, breaking into little bits.

"Please." Trent taunted. Trent smiled as he readied his single sword. He paused for a moment, stopping his incredible speed. Trent grinned and stabbed his sword down into the ice. The ice crackled as Trent's sword was stuck firmly and deep into the cold.

"Honestly, at this point, I don't have any need to fight with swords anymore." Trent grinned and removed his other glove, revealing another bare hand.

"In fact…it'll be more fun this way. Use your ice swords all you want kid. You can't beat me."

"Shut up!" Blanket shouted, swinging both of his swords against the arena surface. Chunks of white flew from the sword tips. A wave of ice approached Trent in an X shape. Trent smiled and casually lifted himself off the ground and flipped over the shape, moving closer towards Blanket. Trent began zooming towards Blanket again.

Blanket used his wings to fly towards Trent, stabbing at him rapidly. Trent casually dodged all of Blanket's lunges and kept stepping backwards. As Trent dodged the blows, he began to chuckle, like a psychopath. Blanket tried to not let his anger get to him. Blanket tried to sweep both swords at Trent, hoping for a better chance at a hit. Blanket's eyes widened when the swords hit Trent's forearm. A light ping sound was heard as the swords made contact with Trent's stiff arm.

"Come on kid, give me a break here." Trent thrusted his arm towards Blanket, causing Blanket to lose his balance for a moment. He used his wings to lift himself upwards from falling over. Trent quickly flashed above Blanket and raised his knee up to his chest. Trent proceeded towards Blanket, trying to slam his boot into Blanket's chest. Blanket quickly twisted his body sideways, dodging Trent's foot. A crushing sound was heard as Trent slammed his foot into the deep ice right next to Blanket. Blanket retreated into the sky, watching as Trent carelessly pulled his foot out from the ice, revealing an enormous hole in the ground. Steam rose from the gap, as if Trent's attack emanated heat.

Trent observed Blanket floating in mid-air before beginning to speak.

"Ya know…the world is changing. People like you are getting these powers when there's no real purpose. You're all too physically weak to even stand a chance against the dark ones."

'Dark ones?' Blanket wondered. 'What's he talking about?'

"Maybe I should elaborate on something…Let me ask you a question. You ever notice any other fellows with red eyes, like myself?" Trent asked, his eyes glimmering at the question.

Blanket remained silent for a moment, questioning Trent's angle.

"Yes." Blanket responded honestly.

Trent grinned. "Thought so. I don't know if you realize it or not, but there's a new wind blowing. The world is about to change, whether or not you want it to. These people, the dark one's…we've already made it a goal to slaughter those who oppose us… it's only a matter a time before you, your friends, and everyone you hold dear…" Trent paused to twist his sword slightly, sending a glint of silver light to his side.

"Are slaughtered as well…"

Blanket furrowed his brow. A few drops of Blanket's blood dripped onto the ice several feet below him.

"You know what, Trent?" Blanket asked.

"Hmm?" Trent mused.

"There's something I've been curious about since I met you…it's been on my mind for a while…your answer to this question I'm about to ask will determine something." Blanket stated.

"What's that?" Trent asked.

Blanket glared at Trent.

"Several years ago…my father died. I was forced to leave South Park because my servants were worried I would be in further danger…it seemed like convenient timing, considering I had just become good friends with Stan…but there's one thing that's been bugging me about the situation since it happened…" Blanket gave Trent a look of absolute malice before continuing.

"I thought it was a bad dream…it all happened so fast…but I recall one thing from that night…a pair of glowing red eyes looking at me from my bedroom window…" Blanket gripped his swords tightly.

"I thought I may have been hallucinating…but I wouldn't be surprised if it was a demon at this point…and these dark one's you speak of…you claim to be one as well. A fellow with dark red eyes…And since you're so interested in me…it only seems fitting that you would be watching me. Tell me Trent…"

Blanket gave Trent an angry look before asking the question.

"Are you the one who killed my father?"

Trent returned a blank gaze at Blanket. Fury ran through blanket when Trent curled the corner of his lips upwards. Trent began to laugh lightly. He began walking towards Blanket with his hands behind his head.

"You know what, Blanket Jefferson? It was me! I'm the one who slaughtered your father! I've been searching for you since that happened, and your own friends have dug your own grave for you! If you hadn't encountered them and followed them since they left South Park, I wouldn't know where you were at…everything has been going in my favor…you're all just holding my hand to get what I want" Trent gave Blanket a look of absolute evil.

Blanket could feel the racing anger flowing through him. His entire body felt hot. Sweat rolled down his face as he angrily glared at Trent. Water welled in Blanket's eyes.

"It was you…who killed my father…" Blanket choked out. Blanket's entire body bursted with white aura. An unbelievable gust of wind burst from Blanket's position, sending his clothes as well as Trent's flapping in the wind.

"I will kill you! I'll kill you! I'll kill you!" Blanket screamed at Trent. Blanket raised both of his ice swords above his head.

"Cold heart, come to my aid!" Blanket chanted as he touched the tips of his swords. A white glow surrounded Blanket's swords, then a blast of light suddenly appeared.

The light around the swords burst, nearly blinding Trent, he had to cover his eyes. A thick mist enshrouded the arena, Blanket couldn't see Trent in front of him as gray mist surrounded him. Blanket panted when he felt like an enormous amount of his energy was sucked from his body in an instant. He fell onto one knee, trying to catch his breath.

Blanket looked back behind his shoulder. Through the thick gray mist, he could see an enormous gray figure looming several feet in the air. An enormous pair of eyes opened. One pupil was yellow, the other was a dark red color. A rumbling sound was heard as the figure moved it's upper body slightly.

"What is this?!" Trent asked in surprise through the mist.

Blanket grinned as he greeted his summoned companion.

"Hey, Frosty. It's been awhile." Blanket greeted his summon.

The mist slowly began to clear, and Blanket was able to make out the finer features of frosty. His body seemed like he was packed together with the smoothest snow. His arms were at least as wide as a tree trunks, and a black hat sat on top of his head. His frosty complexion shined in the arena.

"Fitting you'd use a snowman to fight for you, ice angel Blanket." Trent taunted.

Blanket looked solemnly at the ground. A pang of sadness hit Blanket's heart as the name he dreaded to hear was uttered. A few tears dropped from Blanket's eyes into the ice beneath him, quickly turning the droplets into crystal.

"I hate that name…" Blanket stated. "And I hate being called that! Don't you _EVER_ call me that again!" Blanket barked.

"The only reason I've lived this long…isn't because of me…it's because…." Blanket flicked his head upwards, sending shining tear droplets into the air.

"It's because of my friends! I live for them! That's something you could never understand! You're just an evil bastard who wants the world to be however you want it! You're not even that important, Trent! I doubt you've ever had friends, how could you possibly understand how precious human life is if you can't even make friends?!"

Trent formed a straight line with his lips.

"Frankly, I don't need friends." Trent rebutted. "I only need whatever satisfies me. And if that means your death…so be it…" Trent grinned.

'I've had enough of him…' Blanket thought bitterly.

Blanket turned behind him to look at the looming snowman.

"Are you ready, Frosty?"

Frosty responded with a deep groan.

"I've come so far…I've fought so hard to get where I am now…There's no way I can lose here…."

Blanket leaped off the ground and zoomed towards Trent.

"Die, Trent!"

One of the two fighting souls were about to be no more.

**…**

**POV: **Stan Marsh

A gust of cool air breezed through Stan's hair as he stood at the bow of the ship. His blue eyes sparkled with emotion as he gazed into the distance. Far away from Stan, through some gray mist, he finally saw what he had been looking for: the glimmering city lights of Sweden.

Stan furrowed his brow, staring determinedly in the distance.

'Whatever happens in this city…will shape the way of my life…I will find out answers. I'm honestly afraid of the truth…but…' Stan clutched his fists.

'I've come so far from home to find you again… I know I'm going to see you…I have your address, it won't be much longer, Kyle…'

Stan's body shivered as he heard a clock bower toll in the distance.

**…**

On the first toll, Stan was headed towards his dreams of reuniting with his friend.

On the second toll, Blanket was fighting for his life and for other's in a bloody, cold arena.

On the third toll, Craig was sleeping peacefully in Wendy's bed.

On the fourth toll, Wendy was watching the water droplets climb down her bedroom window.

On the fifth toll, Majorine thought of her crush.

On the sixth toll, Kenny proceeded down the ship hallway, his hands held close to his chest.

On the seventh toll, Cartman was sleeping peacefully in his bed with his belly exposed.

On the eighth toll, thunder struck in South Park.

On the ninth toll, a figure made its way through the forest outside of Stockholm.

On the tenth toll, those whose fates were intertwined shared a heartbeat.

On the eleventh toll, a gust of wind blew in South Park, on the Atlantic Ocean, and in Sweden.

On the twelfth toll, a boy sitting atop the clock tower in Stockholm opened his eyes.


	56. (?): The Wanderer and The Watcher

_Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm very sorry it's been SO SO long since I came out with a chapter. I've had a lot of writer's block mixed in with university so I haven't had a lot of motivation to write lately, partly from some negative feedback I've received, it honestly depresses me a little bit. I needed a break to clear my head and figure out the direction I wanted the story to go. While I did say I had a rough outline, there were some things that stuck out to me that I wanted to change, meaning that these events would change the story further on, too._

_I thank you all for being patient with me, and to my followers who have remained loyal to me, I would like to thank you all the most, your loyalty is what motivates me to keep writing. 3 So thank you, very very much for standing by my side as I work towards my goal of completing this work._

_Without more chit-chat...please enjoy the opening chapter of the Tale of An Angel Arc!~_

Chapter 56 – The Wanderer and the Watcher

**POV: ?**

A cool, piercing breeze passed through the dense, green woods. The air was especially dense tonight, as if a storm threatened to break soon. In the sky, some dark clouds were passing underneath the moonlight, dimming the only source of light on this quiet evening. The trees rattled, the grass swayed, and a few leaves silently fell through the night. When the wind ceased for just a moment, some light footsteps could be heard travelling through the forest.

"Hmmhmmhmm..." A young male voice hummed in the darkness. The clouds were covering all of his features. as they were blocking the moon from revealing his complexion. Another gust of wind howled, sending the boy's hair fluttering slightly as he continued humming his favorite melody.

The cloud that was blocking the moon continued across the sky slowly. The dimmest bit of moonlight shown down on the Earth, revealing a few features of the wanderer.

The boy's blue eyes sparkled underneath the faint moonlight. He padded along the grass with a pair of tennis shoes. On his left foot, his shoe was blue with purple laces, while the one on his right foot was the exact opposite: a purple shoe with blue shoelaces. The boy wore purple and blue striped stockings, a pair of white shorts, a black long sleeved T-Shirt and a black beanie hat with a white stripe beanie along the back of his head. He proceeded through the woods with his hands in his pockets, his black hair fluttering with the smooth breeze.

"Hmmhmmhmm." He continued mumbling. "Seems kind of windy tonight…" he spoke in a calm, soothing voice. The boy had a slightly natural grin across his face.

'This is always my favorite weather...the calm right before the storm...' the young man thought to himself.

The wind died down slightly, returning the forest to absolute silence once more.

'Are you telling me something. wind?' the boy suddenly stopped in his tracks. He listened to the forest, lowering his head and closing his eyes in concentration.

From behind, the boy could hear the sound of light footsteps padding towards him.

'Another one of them, huh?' the boy smirked. He lifted his right foot and firmly pressed it on the ground. He lifted his left foot and used his right to quickly twirl around. He stood on one leg, and positioned the other so that his sneaker was resting against his knee. In front of him, his eyes met with a pair of scarlet eyes a mere few feet away from him. He was used to seeing these eyes, the sinister gazes that reveal evil.

The boy lowered his other leg, and rested his foot on the ground.

"Listen, I'm really not in the mood to deal with your kind right now, mind if I just move on? Thanks." the boy turned around and casually began walking away.

The boy heard quick footsteps approaching him from behind. He smirked as he quickly sidestepped. He watched as a dark figure lunged by his side, with a silver knife glinting in the moon light. The boy smirked as the figure quickly paused and turned towards him. The figure lunged towards his chest.

In a split second, the boy began glowing with a lavender aura. When the sharp knife came into contact with the beautiful color, a shrieking sound was heard as the figure's knife bounced off the color and flew into the sky. For a split moment, the boy saw fear in the dark figures eyes.

The boy grinned. and his eyes began to glow with a devilish, purple gaze.

"All you had to do was not attack me...moron."

"Wha-?!" the black figure shouted suddenly. His question was interrupted when the boy swiftly lifted a leg and kicked against the figures chest. The boy could feel the dark one's bones crack inside of him as the figure flew backwords and slammed against a thick tree. The tree split and fell to the side, and the boy lost sight of the figure for a moment.

The boy extended his right arm out to his side.

"Soul splitter, come to my aid." The boy mumbled. At his words, a glint of purple light appeared next to his right hand. The purple light appeared to grow into a sphere, lighting up the area around the boy with higher contrasted purple. The spehere quickly rushed with different shades of purple, all rich colors. The sphere became smaller and flowed more rapidly. When the sphere was the size of a pebble, the boy clutched his hand, and a sword appeared in the boys hand. The weapon had a beautiful cerulean hilt, a dusk black blade. and a purple outline along it's edges. Even for the dark complexion of the blade, it seemed to glow in the moonlight.

The clouds that were covering the moon moved along, revealing a full moon in the sky. The boy squinted his eyes and noticed a limping black figure. The boy made eye contact with a pair of tired, red eyes.

"H-How did you do that?" the figure asked. "So much power...and..." the figure trailed his eyes towards the boy's sword.

"That's a fascinating weapon you have there…" the figure mused.

The boy chuckled lightly swung the sword hilt over his shoulders and smiled.

"This is my signature blade, Soul Splitter. I won't spoil what it does just yet, though you might have an idea from the name. So, are you going to attack or what?" the boy provoked.

"I warn you, put away your weapon or there will be violence." The figure warned, his eyes beginning to gleam and his body beginning to glow with a red aura.

The boy in the socks raised his head slightly, giving the figure in black a harsh, serious gaze.

"I chose violence if you do."

At his words, the figure's body burst into firing embers. The fire lit up the woods. The boy's complexion shined brightly from the flames. The figure dashed in a zigzag pattern back and forth towards the boy.

"This ought to be fun…" The boy smiled.

No matter how fast the figure moved, the boy simply used his eyes to track the figure's movement. To him, it seemed like his opponent was moving in slow motion. He saw every muscle movement, every attempt the figure made to distract him.

Suddenly, the figure quickly disappeared from in front of the boy.

'Behind me!' the boy thought.

Without hesitating, the boy turned around and quickly swiped his sword horizontally across the figures chest. On contact with the figure's black cloak, small electric sparks formed around the edges of the sword. Small triangle blades burst from the inside of the sword. lining the edges of the sword with sharp razors. The sword went directly through the shadow, ripping through his black cloak and the flames surrounding him. The boy watched as black blood flew through the air and stained the grass.

As the boy cut through the figure, his eyes glinted between red and purple for a moment.

The dark figure's body slid far along the grass off to the side. The flames around the figure's body slowly recessed into tiny embers.

"Soul Splitter, thank you." the boy spoke to his sword. The boy looked down at his hand, where his blade burst with sparkling light, then quickly disappeared.

The boy walked away from the dark figure's body, leaving it behind.

'Things seem to get more dangerous as I get closer.' The boy smiled. 'Just how I like it.'

In the distance, the boy could hear a clock tower tolling.

'I must be getting close…' the boy assumed as he proceeded through the dense woods. A cool wind blew through the woods once more, rattling the trees, sending leaves falling. The boy heard a slight rumble above him.

'It feels like the storm is coming…' the boy mused. 'I can't wait to spectate the battle that's about to happen.'

The boy saw several dim lights towards the edge of the treeline.

'So that must be Stockholm just down this hill...' the boy paused at the edge of the treeline. He placed a hand against a hollow tree and glanced down at the large city that awaited him. The boy saw the enormous clock tower in the distance. He then scanned the city for a moment, observing the beautiful architecture of the brick buildings. In the distance, an enormous ship was approaching the city from the Atlantic Ocean.

The boy grinned.

The boy slowly raised his arms and held both of his palms close to his neck. The palms of his hands shined with white light.

"Disguise of the devil."

Suddenly, a large black cloak with a hood hung from his back. The boy reached behind him and lifted the hood over his purple hair. He proceeded to move down the hill, his cape swaying in the wind. The purple aura around the boy began to dim. A few moments later, a darker than black light was surrounding his body.

Thunder rumbled overhead as the boy proceeded down the hill and approached Stockholm, just a few miles in the distance.

"I'm coming...Kyle Broflovski."

**…**

The city of Stockholm was unusually quiet on this night. Very few citizens lined the streets this time of night. A stray cat walked past the dim street lamps on the cobblestone tiles of the city. The waves sounded slightly against the shore of the ocean. A salty breeze passed through the city. . The clock tower had just subsided its final toll as a boy on top of the structure observed the city beneath him. He wore a long sleeved orange shirt, greenish pants, and a green colored beanie. His vibrant red hair swayed in the wind.

The boy had little thought on nights like these. His only task at hand was to watch over the city, ensuring that no harm come to its regular citizens. It was a self-imposed duty of his, one that he felt responsible for since an incident a few years ago.

The boy stiffened his nose as a cold breeze came through. Overhead, the clouds rumbled slightly, threatening to begin raining down upon the peaceful city any moment.

The boy sighed a breath of cold hair and closed his eyes, trying to imagine himself in a different reality for a moment.

His thoughts were interrupted when a drop of cool rain fell onto his bare hand next to him. He opened his eyes and stared down at his hand. He pulled it up in front of his face, glancing at it. Scars covered his right hand.

'We'll always be friends right?' a familiar praise haunted the boys mind.

He stood on top of the clock tower. His clothes swayed slightly in the breeze as he observed the city beneath him.

The Angel of Stockholm stood proudly as the second storm approached.


	57. F: Tale of an Angel - Part I

**_Author's Note: _**_Howdy everyone! Finally got this next chapter all done. Took my awhile to figure out which stories I wanted to go over next, as we are getting into a more important point in the series now. Let me start off by saying, this chapter uses an **OC. **Yes, I'm perfectly aware that OC's aren't always everyone's favorite thing, but considering this is Stockholm there is probably nobody from South Park there (except for Kyle). These next few chapters are a critical part of the story, as some things will be explained, and more questions will rise at the same time (I'm evil like that haha :))._

_I hope you all enjoy!~_

**_Shout out to: _**_My great friend anologclock (Dan), for being positive and giving me words of encouragement._

**Chapter 57 – Tale of an Angel: Part I**

**_POV: _**_Felix (OC)_

_"I never knew that things like this were possible. It's almost like I was stuck inside of a dream that would never end. I kept asking myself 'Did these things really happen?' Looking back on it, I still can't fathom who it was I met that day, where that led me, and what happened to my hometown. I never knew angels and demons could exist, until after I met 'him.'_

**...**

**The time pendulum swings...**

**6 months after Kyle's departure…1 ½ years ago…**

...

The flaming afternoon sun shone down brightly upon the city of Stockholm. Massive sail ships were coming to and from the busy ocean docks. Local fishermen were unloading their nets inside of their boats, in hopes of finding some fresh seafood to sell to the local market. Men in blue and yellow uniforms yelled as crates of supplies were being loaded onto the docks by enormous cranes. The slightest ocean breeze passed through the harbor, swaying the hair of many. The weather was lovely this time of year. On a bright day like today, it was almost certain that many souls would be out, enjoying the festivities the city had to offer. The midsummer festival wasn't far off, just a mere week away. The excitement could almost be felt around Stockholm, everyone seemed energized, ready as the celebration drew near.

The city always seemed to be brimming with positive energy. Everyone seemed pleased with their lives...though it wouldn't be long before this happiness turned into dark emotion that swallowed the entire city. Today would unravel the first of many events to come...and one boy would be at the center of it all. Not only that, but he was about to meet an angel who would change his life in ways he couldn't imagine.

In the local cobblestone streets, a boy with blonde hair and blue eyes ran through the town, past several shops. His green shorts and red T-Shirt made him stand out in the seemingly dark red and brown city. The citizens watched him in amusement as he raced along the cobblestone streets, with a backpack bouncing up and down along his back as he raced to get to school. He ran past the local tea shops, where Stockholm citizens were sitting with one another at round tables, underneath a parasol. The boy watched as an elderly lady sipped tea and smiled at him as he ran by. The boy waved at her enthusiastically, he had always been told to treat his elders with respect by his parents.

'I'm gonna be late…I'm gonna be late…' the boy panicked in his head. 'If I'm late again…teacher will surely…' The boy closed his eyes, grimacing at the picture of yet another detention against him.

The boy checked his silver watch. The red hands pointed out the time was '12:45 P.M.' His history class began at 1, and the school was at least ten minutes away…at least for normal people who didn't know about a hidden gem for students. The boy knew of a shortcut that would take him a mere five minutes. He panted as he ran down a quiet side-street between two large buildings that loomed over his head. Here behind the shops, the citizens became a rarer sight, as not many of them had a reason to visit behind these alleyways. A real gem of the city was where there were hardly any people; there was a beautiful courtyard not far from where the boy was. It was a simple left turn down the first street, which would lead him straight into the courtyard, decorated with flowers and a glorious four layer fountain in its center.

The courtyard was an interesting place, it was behind a group of buildings, so there were no windows that citizens could look out at the beautiful architecture. The courtyard was a place that the boy enjoyed coming to when he was struggling with his hidden depression. The boy wouldn't lie to himself, his life was hard to live with. About a year ago, his mother had died in a horrible car accident while she was 6 months pregnant with a child. The boy never knew the sex of the baby, but he had always wanted a younger brother. It was sad reality that his wish never came true. The boy's father left shortly after his wife had departed from this world. The father refused to want to take care of him, as it reminded him so much of his mother. It was true, the boy did have a lot of recessive traits from his mom: the blonde hair and blue eyes, the rounder facial structure...it was too much for his father to look at every day. Not long after his father abandoned him, the boy was left in the care of his elderly grandmother, who was quickly developing symptoms of Alzheimer's. It wasn't an easy life he lived, but every day he kept struggling through the emotional challenge of staying strong. He was one of few people that could hold on for as long as he had...

'Almost there!' the boy thought as he turned left and ran down the long, narrow alley. In the distance, he could see the glorious fountain just ahead of him in the wide open space. The water gushed down its sides of the fountain, sparkling like jewelry under the afternoon sunlight. The boy smiled, small sights like these were what made him feel relaxed. Even though he was worried about being late, it was things like this that gave him a message he felt only he could understand: that life wasn't as bad as he thought it was if you can earn pleasure from even the smallest of things.

The boy burst into the courtyard, where colors of purple, pink, yellow, red, almost every color he could imagine surrounded him on the outskirts of the circle. The flowers were planted neatly, swaying in the afternoon breeze. A rounded cobblestone path surrounded the fountain. The boy decided to run around the left side, as usual. As he ran, the scent of the fresh plants filled his nostrils, making him feel more at ease. He looked to his right at the fountain, curious how many pennies filled its base today. You could typically see the shining metal underneath the clear water. To his amusement, there were plenty in the fountain, yet the area seemed pretty deserted. When he thought about it, he had never seen anyone flip a coin into the fountain, yet for some reason, as every day passed it seemed like more and more people came to the courtyard, gifted with their own time, where it was just them and the beautiful architecture around them. This was a place that people came to alone, in hopes that a simple coin flip would fulfill their wishes.

The boy gasped as he felt himself collide with something in front of him. The collision sent him stumbling backwards. He lost his balance and fell on his bottom. He placed one hand on the ground and rubbed the back of his head. He closed his eyes for a minute.

"Ow…" the boy grimaced, rubbing his head.

The boy squinted his eyes, suddenly occurring to him that he had ran into someone. A silhouette was looming in front of him.

"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" The boy apologized, slowly looking up at the person whom he hit. "I wasn't looking, please forgive me!" the boy repented.

"It's alright, dude." a gentle voice said.

The boy opened his eyes wider, and looked up at an extended hand. The boy in front of him wore an orange T-Shirt, green shorts, and a lime green hat. Curly red hair poked out from underneath his cap. The shining sun made the boys green eyes sparkle. His face seemed bright, brighter than what the boy had seen before. It was like looking at a work of art, the red haired boy was actually incredibly beautiful.

"T-Thank you…" the boy on the ground said, extending his own hand into the stranger's. Both of the hands had a gentle texture, as if it reflected their personalities. A light grip was met as the stranger helped the boy up off the ground. After pulling him up, the boy in the orange T-Shirt smiled at the boy, before he simply walked around him. The boy quickly spun around, he was curious about this stranger he had met by the fountain, he wanted to know more about him.

"H-Hey-"the boy spun around quickly. He took a breath when he realized the stranger had vanished. He looked around the courtyard, but the boy he had just met was nowhere to be found.

'Who was that?' the boy wondered. He blinked a few times.

'That was weird…' the boy thought. A stiff breeze passed through the courtyard. For some reason, the boy felt tension in the air, as if something negative was going to happen in the future. The boy shook his head before he turned around and continued running towards the school.

**…**

"Now, the United States didn't always have the 50 star flag…" the teacher droned on about American history as the Swedish boy glanced out the classroom window in boredom. The sun hung high overhead, shining through the dim windows. The boy wasn't paying attention at all, but rather pondered over his current state.

'That boy…' he imagined the young man with red hair standing by the fountain.

'Was he real…?'

The boy nearly jumped out of his seat in shock as the school bell rang.

"I guess that will have to do it for today." The teacher spoke, closing the textbook on the podium he was using. "Class dismissed."

The boy stood up from his desk and gathered his materials. He silently looked into his backpack as he packed his things before leaving. He watched as his classmates slowly shuffled out of the classroom. He waited patiently, hoping that one of them would stay behind just to talk to him, but it was to no avail. By the time the boy had finally finished packing his things, his teacher was the only one left in the room. His male teacher glanced up at him from his desk.

"Excuse me, Felix?"

The boy paused for a second, returning a blank stare at the teacher.

"Y-Yes?" Felix stuttered.

"Can you come here for a moment? Don't worry, it won't take long."

Felix reluctantly began walking towards the teacher. The teacher gave him a slight grin, trying to comfort him.

"Have a seat." The teacher gestured to a small brown stool next to him. The boy reluctantly twisted backwards and sat atop the stool.

"How are things going at home?" the teacher asked politely.

The boy shrugged.

"Well…my grandma is still forgetting a lot…I have to do some things to help her out…like cook dinner, give her directions…clean…but she's still as lively as ever…"

"I see." The teacher smiled. "Well it sounds like you are an _awesome_ grandson!" the teacher praised.

"I just wanted to check up on you, so go ahead, go home and help your grandma." The teacher winked before going back to work.

"See you tomorrow!" The boy hopped off the stool and waved behind him as he left the classroom. The teacher gave a polite wave in response.

As the boy walked along the hallways on the second floor, he glanced out the windows. The sun was still high in the sky, but the once blue surface was starting to convert into an orange glow.

'It feels like the same routine…every day…' the boy clutched at his backpack straps as he recollected on the previous few years.

'I come to school alone, I hardly talk to anyone….then I leave and don't walk home with anyone…'

The truth is, the boy was depressed, even though he did so well at keeping his emotions stable. He wasn't sure why he kept doing the same things every day. Sometimes he just felt like he needed a change in his life, as if perhaps the slightest thing that could interest him would spark back some imagination and motivation into his young mind.

'I hope grandma is home…' it was common that Felix's grandmother would be out with her elderly friends, who were kind enough to watch over her. The truth that the boy had to admit was that his grandmother was becoming older, and he feared every day that she would get to the point where she could no longer care for him. The boy didn't care to be handed over to some other family, his grandmother was the closest thing to he had ever had since years ago.

'If there was a God…would he really let me suffer like this?' the boy wondered as he left the school building and proceeded down the familiar pathways again.

The sun was beginning to set quickly as the boy neared his apartment. He watched as he walked by the familiar night sights: couples walking with each other, a man in an apron turned on a gas lamp outside of his café, ready for the evening customers.

The boy watched as a middle-aged couple walked by him. The two spoke to each other in Swedish. A long red haired woman chuckled at something the olive skinned man next to her had said. The man took off his jacket and gently folded it around the woman. The boy kept walking, yet glanced behind him in curiosity, where he saw the couple sit down at a small round table outside of the cafe the man in the apron was seen at. The apron man quickly ran out of the store and began speaking to the couple enthusiastically. The two smiled as the man requested food and beverage.

'They look so happy…' Felix thought. 'I wonder if that will ever happen to me someday.'

Sights like this almost made him want to smile.

**…**

In the boy's dreams. He dreamt he was walking down the streets of Sweden on a winter night. The snow was falling slowly as he walked through the streets. For some reason, the snow gave the boy a feeling of loneliness, maybe it was because the snowfall was so quiet, or perhaps because the boy had always been introverted at heart.

His hair swayed lightly underneath his blue hat. His red knit mittens kept his hands warm, along with his bright red jacket. He didn't know where he was heading in his dreams, he just taking a silent stroll through the snowy night. All the lights in the buildings around him were out, leaving a few dimly lit gas lamps and the moon to guide him through the night.

The boy's cheeks were red from the nipping cold. His eyes felt dry and he felt tired for some reason. As he continued walking, his body quickly felt more and more drained of energy.

'I don't know how much longer I can keep walking…' the boy wondered. He sighed and looked to his left, where a spot at the base of a building offered a space for him to sit. The boy walked over and sat down on the spot. He pulled his knees inwards and hugged himself.

'It's so…cold.' The boy thought tiredly. 'I just want to…fall asleep.'

The boy felt his eyelids begin to shut, when suddenly he felt silky warmth enveloping his body. He opened his eyes tiredly, and felt someone embrace him across his chest. They held him tightly. The boy was too tired to react in the way he wanted to. He wouldn't lie, the embrace felt amazing. He watched through squinted eyes as a shadowy figure rose up in front of him.

"W-Who are you?" the boy asked tiredly as the figure walked away.

The boy's vision cleared, and he saw the back of a familiar figure. The person walking away from him wore an orange jacket, greenish pants, and a lime green winter hat.

'He looks familiar…' the boy thought.

"W-Wait…" the boy called out in interest, reaching out a hand, not rising from his spot on the ground.

The figure stopped, and didn't speak another word.

"Can you tell me who you are?" the boy mumbled tiredly.

The figure looked up at the sky.

"I'm an angel."

**…**

Felix's blue eyes flashed open to darkness. He was clutching his silk sheets and staring up at his dark ceiling. His window was open slightly, allowing a brisk breeze to enter, waving his white tapestries ever so slightly. He sat up in his bed and rubbed his groggy face.

'What was that?' the boy wondered. 'What a weird dream…' he swiped his hand across his bangs, getting strands of hair away from his eye.

The boy stared across his dark room. He glanced at the poster's he had on his walls: a few local bands and posters from popular Swedish TV shows.

He cranked his head behind him to stare out the thin slits of his window. His window was on the 8th floor of the apartment complex. Buildings were dimly lit, and the streets were dimmed with the usual gas lamps lighting people's way. The boy hopped out of bed and proceeded to his window. He grabbed the nearby strings and pulled the blinds upwards, giving him a clearer view of the city. He pushed the window open and stuck his head outside into the cool, crisp night. An unusually cool breeze passed through him. He inhaled the fresh air through his nostrils.

'Why is it so cold tonight?' Felix wondered, it was mid-summer, it was unusual for the air to be this cold.

The boy rested his chin on his palm as he stared out into the city. It was a peaceful night tonight, hardly any sound was heard. The full moon loomed high in the sky, just barely scraping over the top of a clock tower in the distance.

The boy suddenly noticed movement in the distance, it was hard for him to see what was moving along the rooftop buildings, seemingly hopping from one roof to another.

"What is that?" Felix stuck his head even further out of his window. The object seemed to move closer as it hopped along the rooftops. The object jumped in the air, seemingly entering the center of the moon. The moon was directly in the center of the object, highlighting it.

Felix widened his eyes as he saw the most beautiful thing of his life.

The object wasn't actually an object, but rather, an angel...

Felix saw a boy jumping through the sky. He had beautiful green eyes and red hair. A green and orange trimmed silk cape flowed behind him. He wore black boots up to his knees, which heels attached on the back. Steel metal outlined the edges of the boots, as well as the cuffs. The boy was wearing a pair of green shorts, with elegant, sewn design along the leggings. The boy wore a fabric, embroidered long sleeved orange shirt. Green trim ran along the sleeves, with multiple twisting and trailing patterns following down the boys wrists.

A silver sword sheathe was attached to the boy's left hip. The sheathe nearly went down to the heel of the boy's boots.

But the most fascinating part of this person, wasn't even the armor, the sword, or the beautiful clothing.

The boy had long, elegant white wings sprouted out of his back, allowing him to glide through the night.

Felix bit his lip as he watched for a split second as the boy was illuminated by the moonlight. Suddenly, the boy vanished into the night.

Before he knew it, tears were rolling down Felix's cheeks. But these weren't tears of sadness, but rather joy.

"I met an angel today..."

It wouldn't be long before Felix met this angelic boy again.

Darkness was approaching.


	58. F: Tale of an Angel - Part II

_**Author's Note:** *Shudders* _OH MY GOSH I'M SO EXCITED FOR YOU ALL TO READ THIS! Sorry again for the wait, I've been really busy with software development and haven't had much time to write. But I finally had a break and worked all day coming up with the next chapter...all I can say, is: Get hyped, because things are about to go down :)

Chapter 58 – Tale of an Angel: Part 2

**POV: **Felix

**...**

**The time pendulum swings...**

**7 months after Kyle's departure…1 ½ years ago…**

...

"Felix? Felix!" the boy flashed open his eyes and raised his head from his desk to examine his familiar homeroom class. All of his fellow pupils were staring at him with questioning looks. Felix began blushing intensely over embarrassment as the teacher gazed at him from behind his wooden lectern.

"If you want to nap, go home!" The teacher scolded.

"S-sorry!" Felix apologized. "Please continue."

The teacher gazed at Felix for another moment for reassurance. A few student's followed the silence with light chuckles. Felix felt a tinge of sadness inside of him, he was so embarrassed. The teacher casually returned to lecturing. Felix at least tried to pay attention, but his mind was cloudy.

'I couldn't sleep last night…' Felix thought as he watched the teacher write some notes on the chalk board.

'I really don't know what that was…maybe it was my imagination? Or maybe it was just a dream…I know I met that boy just last week...but he couldn't really have a crazy get up with armor…a sword…right?' Felix tried to re-assure himself.

It had been almost a week since Felix had first encountered that strange boy in the courtyard. Felix vividly remembered it, but the sight of the same boy with angel wings, armor, and weapons made Felix want to convince himself it was all just a dream. Felix daydreamed about the sight, in constant curiosity. It was unlike anything he had ever seen...or dreamt of for that matter. Felix just wanted to go home, and take a nice, long nap. He hadn't been sleeping well lately, it was almost as if a demon was controlling his sleep patterns. Felix was exhausted during the day, but not sleepy during the night. Felix had to make a strong effort to stay awake during class, and was struggling day by day.

Around him, all of Felix's classmates were eager to go home. Their energy was bursting, while Felix sat at his personal desk with droopy eyes. However, he had to admit he was eager to go to the courtyard again on his way back home. He had stopped by the courtyard on his way to and from school every day, but his efforts were to no avail; he still hadn't seen the boy again.

A series of knocks rasped on the classroom door. The teacher gazed over and saw a faculty member through the small glass window.

"Excuse me, I'll be right back." The teacher excused himself and stepped out from behind the lectern and stepped out into the hallway, shutting the classroom door behind him. The class quickly began to chatter amongst one another.

Felix suddenly something wet hit the back of his head. He quickly wiped the back of his hair, and when he pulled his hand away he witnessed an enormous spit wad in his hand. Felix twisted around and glared at a group of three boys who were openly laughing at Felix's embarrassment.

"Stop." Felix warned.

"Or what?" a boy leaning back in his chair teased. "You'll tell the teacher?"

Felix gave the boy a stern look at faced towards the front of the classroom again. Telling the teacher had never done Felix any good, the same group of boys were constantly harassing him with insults, teasing relentlessly. Just in time, the teacher stepped back inside the classroom and walked up to his lectern.

"Quiet down everyone." The teacher gestured by moving his hands downwards.

"I have an important announcement to make." The teacher was silent for a moment as he gazed around the classroom.

"There's currently a thunderstorm on its way, it's going to be pretty hectic, so please head home while you can. Not to worry though, you have about an hour before it arrives, so please feel free to take your time while you gather everything."

The classroom instantly buzzed with excitement.

"Have a great weekend everyone, be sure to study! Class dismissed!" The teacher closed a large textbook located on his lectern and walked out of the classroom.

Felix sighed and stood up. He silently looked down at his desk as he gathered his supplies, yet again. It seemed like the same routine every day. It was as if he was going through daily motions like a robot.

"Uhm…Felix?" Felix jumped as he heard a light, timid female voice next next to him. Felix gazed over to his left and noticed one of his classmates, Olivia. Olivia's cheeks were blushing, an interesting contrast to her rose colored hair. She was looking downwards slightly, appearing to be nervous.

'A…a girl?!' Felix's face lit up instantly. He continued putting his belongings in his backpack. He felt lucky that Olivia didn't make eye contact with him and see his red face. Felix gulped.

'OK…get it together…just ask her how she's doing...'

"H-Hey Olivia. What's up?" Felix asked nervously, zipping up his backpack and putting it over his right shoulder.

"I was wondering...uhm...if you would walk home with me?" she asked in a gentle voice, before gazing up at him with emerald eyes.

Felix smiled. The thought of spending time with Olivia made him happy. He hadn't spoke to her much, because she seemed very popular and busy with her other friends. Her gesture was definitely not unappreciated.

"Yeah…sure. Where do you live again?" Felix inquired.

"I live east of the town square. A few blocks east of the citadel..." she answered shyly.

Felix basically knew the entire layout of the city. He had ventured all over the place in the past. Sometimes he would just take walks to clear his head and observe people. He was an introvert, and wouldn't lie, he loved his alone time. But occasionally, he couldn't help but accompany someone, especially if they asked him to walk with them.

"Well…let's go then." Felix agreed.

The two silently left the classroom, trailing behind everyone else.

"Hey Felix?" Olivia asked shyly.

"Yeah?" Felix responded.

"I wanted to ask you about something…"

Felix felt his heart pound faster at her question.

"Uhm…what is it?" Felix replied bashfully. He gripped his backpack straps as he strolled down the second story hallway. He noticed the clouds outside seemed like a light gray color.

"Actually…I think it can wait…" Olivia trailed off.

"Huh?" Felix replied quizzically.

Olivia remained silent as the two left the school building.

**…**

Under the sky, Felix and Olivia walked through the busy town square. People passed by one another without exchanging much word, yet somehow the square seemed to be noisy, even with an approaching storm. Small vehicles and citizens buzzed all around. At the far end of the town square, a beautiful, silver colored citadel surrounded by a luscious garden loomed high in the sky. Gilded stairs leading up to it's front doors made it look like a grand place of worship. Felix had actually never been inside before. Come to think of it, he actually had never seen people coming in and out of it.

"Thanks for walking with me." Olivia stated as her and Felix were walking past the citadel. "I usually hate walking alone…"

"It's not a problem." Felix replied coolly. "Besides, you need to get home before this storm comes in anyway."

Olivia giggled a bit. "You know, it's a little strange. I'm not sure why, but my favorite weather is the calm you get right before the storm, like right now. I guess it's the feeling that something big is going to happen that kind of excites me...well not even that, it's oddly calm..." She smiled.

Felix had to admit he shared a similar opinion. His two favorite weathers were when things fell from the sky: rain showers and snowfall. Felix normally watched them from his window, wondering how much the weather was touching the lives of other human beings.

The clouds overhead were indeed transitioning darker color. Felix and Olivia glanced up at the sky.

"I love living here." Olivia sounded lightly. "It seems like everyone in the city his happy with their lives…there's never any violence here…" Olivia stopped in her tracks and stared at the citadel for a moment, taking in its beautiful architecture.

Felix followed Olivia's gaze, glancing at the glamorous building.

"Felix...do you think there's an angel in this town?" Olivia asked and looked at Felix with her innocent green eyes.

Felix blushed as he gazed back at the citadel. Felix gave a lighthearted smile, he felt like he already knew the answer.

"Why yes, I do." He answered.

"It's wonderful, isn't it? The thought of someone watching over you..." Olivia replied.

Felix and Olivia casually continued the remaining few blocks towards Olivia's house: a beautifully decorated two story brick house. There was a white front gate with a small fence outlining the lush green front lawn and garden, where almost every color of flower could be seen. Olivia's mother had done an especially great job at maintaining her plants.

Olivia stopped outside her front gate and turned to Felix.

"T-Thank you Felix…I had fun spending time with you today." She bashfully turned around and walked into the front lawn through the gate. Felix watched her waving hair as she walked away. Something in Felix's heart was changing, but he didn't know what.

"H-Hey Olivia!" Felix spoke up.

Olivia turned around with one foot on her front steps. A small gust of wind came through, making her hair sway backwards. The image seemed quite ominous to Felix.

"Just…if you want to walk more…don't hesitate to ask."

Olivia gave Felix a smile before continuing into her home.

'I'm not sure if that was good or bad.' Felix thought as he gazed her closed front door, somewhat depressed. He slowly began to step away from Olivia's home. He traversed a block of buildings, just taking his time to think about his life as of late. His grandmother had seemed to be getting worse over the past few weeks. She was becoming more forgetful and not taking her medication when she was supposed to. Felix constantly asked her to take care of herself, but she would sometimes forget to do even that.

Felix placed his hands in his pockets as he walked back towards the town square. As he was entering the town square, a single drop of rain fell from the sky.

'Huh…I guess it's going to start sooner than I expected.' At Felix's thought, a strong bolt of lightning pierced through the sky, followed by an incredibly loud, booming thunder. Felix shuddered slightly at the noise.

"I need to get home, like right now!" Felix started jogging through the enormous town square. Every few seconds, he noticed the drops falling just a bit faster.

"Not like this!" Felix groaned as he continued onwards even faster.

In a moment the sky busted and heavy rainfall began to soak Felix as he ran through the town square.

'Damn!' Felix thought annoyingly. 'I need to get out of this rain.' Felix gazed around at the building's, seeking shelter. Not far from Felix, the citadel loomed in the darkness like a shadow. The large wooden double doors offered safe refuge inside. The citadel was always open to anyone, the town had little to worry about when it came to crime or people stealing, it was a sense of trust the town had for one another.

'Well...guess I'll hang out in there till the rain lets up…at least for a little bit' Felix thought. He ran through the rain, drops running down his arms and his clothes feeling heavier from the rainfall. Felix ran up the metal stairs to the doors, and pulled on the elegant brass door handle. He stepped inside and shut the door behind him with a _thud._

Felix sighed and slipped his backpack off his shoulders. He shook his head slightly, sending drops of rain flying onto the grand carpet beneath him. In front of Felix, several wooden pews with red cushions and golden, threaded edges were lined up, facing the main stage, where a lectern sat. To the side right side towards the back of the citadel, a small altar was seen, with a fancy white tablecloth, a cross, and a chalice on top. The stained glass windows in the very back of the church let in the faintest green, purple, and red colors. Next to the windows, a flag of Sweden lightly moved.

Felix walked forward with his backpack strap in one hand. He set his backpack down gently in a nearby pew and stared up at the stained glass windows.

'A citadel…a place of worship…' Felix thought. 'Do these people even really believe in God? Or rather do they feel they just need something to live for?' Felix pondered as he approached the main stage for no particular reason.

Felix clutched his fists and glanced at the altar from the base of the stairs.

'If there was a God, why am I no longer with my parents, why is my grandma suffering, and why did it have to rain on me today?'

"Everyone always says that you just have to have faith and believe, and you'll be promised a great life. But what good has that everyone done anyone?" Felix spoke to no one in particular.

The rain continued pouring down on the citadel as Felix wondered if a higher power truly existed.

**…**

**Elsewhere…**

Olivia sat at her window watching the rain fall outside.

'I hope Felix made it home OK…' she worried. 'I felt bad making him take me home…I hope he isn't too soaked.'

Olivia played with the ends of her hair.

'Felix is such a mysterious boy…I'm not sure why, but I can't help but want to know more about him…he always seems so lonely…' Olivia had noticed in general, Felix seemed extremely shy and almost a little timid. Perhaps this was just his nature, or maybe something else pushed him towards being so quiet. Felix wasn't much for having conversation, but he could at least hold his own for a few hours.

Olivia sighed.

'It doesn't seem often there's much different with him. I wish he would cheer up once in a while…' she wanted to see Felix smile. It was strange, Olivia had the ability to sense people's feelings. She could sense sadness coming from Felix, no matter how he played himself off as.

'I figured it would cheer him up if I asked him if he would walk me home…but did I just depress him because it rained on him?' Olivia felt bad for possibly making things worse.

'Maybe he needs an angel to help him…'

Olivia clutched her hand over her chest, and felt her heart beating slower.

**…**

Felix stood in the citadel as a booming thunder shook the metal sanctuary, amplifying the vibrancy of the colors shining in from the grand glass windows. He saw the clear, thick raindrops run down the stained glass windows on the outside.

'This reminds me…of mom's funeral…and…my unborn sibling…'

Felix remembered that day well. He recalled the reception that had been held for the departing of his mother and her unborn child. Images of pouring rain hitting an umbrella his father held up above them as Felix the watched pole bearers walk down the church steps to a hearse. Felix had stared at the casket with innocent blue eyes.

'Mom…you can't be dead…' Felix clutched his small fists as he watched his mom's casket be loaded into the hearse. His blue eyes began to water as the rear door to the hearse was shut tightly. Tears ran down Felix's face as he acknowledged the hard fact: that his mother was gone, forever.

Felix stared up at the painting of Jesus against the stained glass windows.

"Since that day, I've never believed in any God." Felix boldly stated out loud.

"Belief has never done me any good. No matter how much I wanted mom back…you wouldn't give her back…not my brother, or sister, or whomever my sibling was going to be. They're gone from this world...because no God watches over anyone. Everyone dies at some point…and I'm no exception."

Felix absorbed the silence, as if he had just made an important point.

Felix raised his eyebrows as a loud creaking sound came from the rear of the church. Felix twisted around and watched as a large wooden door opened slightly. A person wrapped in a large green cloak stepped inside. Their hood covered their face. Felix watched them as they closed the door behind them.

'Who is this?' Felix wondered.

"Come to seek shelter too?" Felix called out to them. "It's pretty nasty out there, can't say I blame you."

"I'm afraid this place doesn't serve as a shelter, at least it won't in the future." A light voice spoke from underneath the hood.

Felix watched as the figure slowly strolled down the center isle past the wooden pews. The tails of their green cloak swayed behind them as they proceeded towards him.

"What are you talking about?" Felix asked curiously. "This place is protecting us from the rain."

"That may be true…but not from everything." the figure reached towards their chest and gripped their cloak, in front of their chest. They threw it off onto their side. It took Felix a moment to register who the mysterious person was.

Felix had to squint slightly to see the person at first, but then there was no mistaking it. His eyes widened as he recognized the familiar face of the boy whom he had ran into at the fountain the other day. The same boy who sprouted angel wings out of his back, at least in Felix's dreams. He wore a dark orange shirt with black stripes, long, black pants, and had a large red fro on top of his head. His face was smooth and clean, and strangely, he didn't appear wet at all.

"I-It's you..." Felix's eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you find me? Why are you hear?" Felix was full of questions.

The boy gazed up at Felix with his hazel eyes.

"Felix, that's your name, right?" The boy asked.

"Y-Yes..." Felix walked across the stage, towards the top of the stairs.

"Felix..." the boy trailed off. "We need to talk."

"Huh?" Felix wondered. "What about?" Felix stopped at the top of the stairs next to the lectern.

The boy stopped at the base of the stairs and gazed up at Felix.

"Let me introduce myself to you first." the boy slowly walked up the stairs. As he moved towards Felix, the town bell began ringing loudly. Nearly every step gave off an ominous ringing sound. It seemed that every inch the boy came closer was a century to Felix.

The boy stopped two stairs beneath Felix.

"Felix. You probably have a lot of questions, but let me tell you who I am. Don't tell anyone. I promise you it's for a good reason. Are you ready?"

The bell tolled once more. Felix nodded.

The boy smiled.

"My name...is Kyle Broflovski. It's a pleasure to meet you." Kyle extended his right hand towards Felix.

When Felix took Kyle's hand, an unspoken pact was made.

Lightning boomed outside, amplifying the light from the stained glass windows once more. As the light flashed, Felix saw transparent angel wings along Kyle's back.

The tale of the Angel of Stockholm, Kyle Broflovski, was about to be revealed.


	59. SM EC: Fading Normalcy

_**Author's Note:** Howdy, everyone, we're almost to Chapter 60 :) Well I figured it would do us some good to go back to the present and push the story a little more :) Again, I thank you all for your patience with me as a writer and you have my deepest gratitude for your loyalty and encouraging words. It's my pleasure to have gone so far with this story, much longer than I thought I would have ever made it. _

_Hope you all have had a wonderful summer, and I hope your fall treats you just as good and even better! It's my favorite season._

_Perfect for fuzzy blankets and fan fiction :D_

Chapter 59 – Fading Normalcy

**POV: **_Stan Marsh_

The waves underneath the dark yet luxurious vessel spread out widely as the vessel rapidly approached its final destination: the docks of Stockholm, Sweden.

Kenny stood by Stan's side as he stared determinedly out at the vast city. Lights from the local buildings stood out brightly as they approached closer to their objective.

'It's not going to be much longer, Kyle.' Stan thought to himself.

"Stan?" Stan turned his head to his side, signaling that he was listening to Kenny. A light breeze passed through, waving Stan and Kenny's hair.

"Yeah?" Stan asked.

"How soon do you want to head into the city? As soon as we dock?" Kenny inquired softly.

Stan nodded. "Yeah, I don't feel like wasting any time. Would you mind going to wake fat as- I mean Cartman?" Stan requested.

Kenny chuckled and nodded. "Leave it to me, I'll be right back." Kenny trotted off towards the interior of the ship.

Stan placed his hands in his pockets.

'I can't believe we're finally here. It seems like it's been forever. I have to admit, sometimes it feels like I'm chasing after a dream…is it sad that I can hardly remember Kyle's face after two years…' Stan tried his best to imagine his face, but still couldn't put an absolute finger on what he would look like now.

"I'm going to see you again. I promise." Stan spoke out loud.

Stan blinked and looked upwards as a drop of rain fell onto his nose.

'It's already going to storm, the first thing that happens when we get here?' Stan thought, annoyed.

"Ahem!" Stan jumped and twisted around. One of Blanket's servants was wearing his usual attire: A dark suit with a tie. The servant stood at a parade rest.

"H-Hi." Stan said, embarrassed for being scared.

"Excuse me sir, it seems as if it's going to storm soon. Perhaps you'd do better inside."

Stan shrugged.

"It's alright, I'm sure we have an umbrella somewhere. We'll dock tonight." Stan ordered.

The servant glanced up at the sky.

"It does look quite terrific out tonight. I'm afraid we won't be docking tonight, sir."

Stan raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? Not to be bossy, but I'd really appreciate it if you just parked it at the dock. Like I said, we'll be fine if we have umbrellas."

The servant chuckled. "What an eager one you are...Well…you see…" the servant trailed off. The servant bent his knees slightly, and Stan watched as he focused for a moment.

'What's he doing?' Stan wondered.

A bright flash blinded Stan for a moment, he covered his eyes, blinking several times to try to get his vision back.

'What the-hell?!' Stan panicked. Stan felt disoriented, and dizzy like he was about to pass out. Stan took some deep breaths and shook his head. He blinked a few times, his vision slowly coming back from a misty gray.

Stan saw a shiny object swirling in the servant's right hand. He tossed it up in the air, then slyly caught it and pointed it towards Stan's chest. Stan took a second to register what had just happened. He widened his eyes when he noticed the object the servant had was really a revolver.

'This has to be some kind of joke, right?' Stan felt his body begin to heat up. His heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to assure himself it wasn't a dream. The more he witnessed what was happening, the more panic instilled in his heart.

"I'm afraid you won't be docking tonight, sir. In fact, you'll be at the bottom of the ocean, and I'm afraid your friends will join you as well." The servant adjusted his pistol slightly.

Stan widened his eyes in horror.

"WHAT THE HELL KIND OF PEOPLE ARE YOU!?" Stan screamed.

Stan had been wondering that question for a while now. Since the incident back in South Park with the dark rider, Stan had noticed that the world around him...almost seemed to be getting darker in some way.

The servant grinned menacingly back at Stan.

"You see, lad. We live to serve the darkness. And in order for you to 'reunite' with your dear friend, I'm afraid you'll have to perish first."

Stan felt every nerve in his body tense up. He imagined a bullet tearing through his body, the pain it would induce on him, and the blackness that would ensue. Sweat rolled down Stan's cheek and he felt his breath thinning. He did his best to not look fearful, but he knew it wasn't working.

'Damn it!' Stan closed his hands tightly, forming fists.

'Every step I've gone…seems to lead me into even more danger. What the hell is happening to this world? What's happening to South Park? What's happening to Kyle? And why does this guy say I have to die first to see him?!'

The servant chuckled slightly before lowering his gun.

"Tell me boy, why is it you're so dedicated to find this friend of yours? I'm curious as to why you came all the way across the world just to see him again."

'Why is he asking about Kyle? Does he know him somehow? OK Stan...just play it as cool as you can. Try to get information from him, whatever that means...' Stan calmed himself.

"Why do my goals matter to you, if you're just going to kill me anyway?" Stan furrowed his brow slightly.

The servant gazed up at the dark sky.

"Look, lad. I'm sure you've realized by now you've noticed a simple fact: this world is changing. Some things would have been better for you if you just knew how to stay put. But look at you, your travels all the way to Sweden have you witnessing a stranger with a firearm threatening to kill you Surely you don't think it was worth it to come all the way here, just to witness your own death?"

"I'm not dying here today!" Stan declared firmly.

The servant smirked. Stan felt close to growling out of anger.

"What's so funny to you?" Stan asked.

The servant gazed up at Stan with glowing red eyes. The tint in the servants eyes changed rapidly.

"You say you won't be dying today. But what's stopping that? Your words don't matter. If I point this gun over your heart, and pull the trigger…the bullet will simply rip through your body. You'll lose your blood, your heart will stop, and the world will be black and before you know it, you've arrived in the afterlife. I don't see you with any weapon, any strength, or will for that matter. You're weak, and you know you are."

"Shut up!" Stan shouted. "You have no right to choose taking somebodies life! You disgust me, you don't even understand the value of human life." Stan slowly began walking forward. The servant kept his gun remaining at his side.

"I've almost been killed in the past. Before I came out here, a strange man back in my hometown tried to kill me. I thought I was going to die right then and there. But I realized there was a reason for me living...A reason to keep going." Stan watched the servant raise his gun towards Stan as he approached him.

"And that same reason is going to keep me alive today." Stan stopped just a few yards away from the servant, pointing his gun at Stan's temple.

"Go ahead, shoot me." Stan provoked. "Pull the trigger. Take my life."

Stan smiled obnoxiously as the servant looked at him with a surprised expression.

"Do what you want to me, it won't stop Kyle from hunting you down."

A fast gust of wind passed through, it was freezing, to the point where Stan felt like it was piercing his body.

The servant straightened his lips and narrowed his eyes.

"You're just a kid…how much do you really know about what's going on?" The servant shook the revolver slightly, debating putting it down.

"I know for a fact there is some dark organization, or some cult or something that's trying to make their way into society. I noticed it back in my hometown, and things even felt a little sketchy in New York City, if you ask me." Stan replied.

"I think I know the reason why Kyle was gone for so long…for over two years now…" Stan glared at the servant with a piercing gaze.

"He's somehow awoken some power and you guys are after him, aren't you?" Stan accused.

The servant remained silent for a moment.

"Am I right?" Stan inquired. "Tell me, since I'm going to die anyway." Stan took another step towards the servant. The servant flicked his gun upwards, caught it and twirled it slightly, then pressed the barrel directly against Stan's temple.

The servant remained silent for a moment more.

"You know _nothing_ about Broflovski." The servant replied.

"He's my best friend,you asshole!" Stan barked. Stan felt his eyes beginning to water a little bit. The stress was starting to lose itself, at this very moment of all possible times.

The servant burst into maniacal laughter.

"Your best friend?! Don't make me laugh any more than I need to, young one. Do you know what he's _really_been doing the past two years?"

Stan breathed into the night, his breath turning into steam in front of him. Particles of his breath stuck against the silver revolver, shining lightly.

"I'll ask Kyle myself, when I see him." Stan said firmly.

The servant shook his head.

"You can't see him, boy."

Stan felt a flame of anger burning inside of him. He was moments away from lashing out at the servant.

"Go on. Tell me, why can't I see him?" Stan growled.

The servant remained silent at Stan's question. Stan gazed at the gun pointed at his head.

"Fire that damn thing already if you're going to do it! Stop waving it like a trophy." Stan dropped to his knees and glared up at the servant.

The servant chuckled.

"Never before have I seen a lad so ready for death. I'll put you out of your misery. But at least listen to what I have to say first, kiddo. It might give you some peace of mind. Want to hear about your 'friend' or not?"

'I will admit, I do feel like he has a clue to Kyle's whereabouts…I should probably just give in.'

Stan nodded, and the servant slowly pulled his gun away.

"Tell me before you kill me." Stan ordered.

The servant slowly set his gun down on the deck next to his right food and reached into his suit coat pocket. He pulled out a fancy black metal cigarette case, engraved with intricate detail. He popped the top of the case open with his thumb and reached in to grab a cigarette. He placed the filter in his mouth, inhaling slightly. He reached into right pocket and sent a lighter flying upwards. He grabbed it with his left hand and lit the end of the cigarette. A wave of smoke was sent flying out of his mouth.

'Is this guy for real?' Stan questioned, eyeing the gun next to his foot.

'I need to take that gun when I have the chance…' Stan plotted. 'I'll just wait for the right time…I'll let him stall with his explanation as much as I can…'

"All right…look here, boy. I don't know everything, I've only heard rumors. Don't take what I say as solid facts."

Stan focused and nodded. The servant paced in front of his gun. Stan tried to keep one eye on it as he watched the servant cautiously.

"OK then…where do I begin?" the servant asked rhetorically. The servant lifted up the cigarette to his mouth and took a hit, then exhaled the smoke slowly.

"You obviously know of the people who have seemingly 'dark powers.' I mean, you are talking to one right now, I suppose that is a bit of silly question." The servant chuckled then continued.

"Here's something you wouldn't figure. You see, there's opposites of everything in this world. Black isn't a color because it's technically no color at all, while white is supposedly every color. Boys are different from girls, and light is different from darkness."

Stan shrugged. "OK? This isn't the first grade."

"Well, you haven't seen any 'light' beings yet, have you? I'm presuming you've only seen dark ones, like myself, if I'm right."

Now that Stan thought about it, the servant was right. He really hadn't seen anyone with incredible power or malice except for those wearing dark clothes and cloaks.

"By that same token…" the servant took another puff of his cigarette. "There's a faction that serves the light, and essentially….we aim to destroy it. I'm afraid your friend is a part of that faction."

'Faction?' Stan wondered. 'Why are there sides, and why do these people hate the light? Then again, what do these two groups even believe in? I feel like I'm dwelling into knowledge I shouldn't know…'

"You see, kid. Your friend Broflovski…he's probably not who you remember him to be. You see, there's this boy that used to live in Stockholm by the name of Felix. That kid made contact with Broflovski. And well…I hate to tell you this hard fact…but…"

Stan widened his eyes slightly as the servant blurted out the last words he expected to hear.

"Your friend is a mad killer. And we're hoping to get Broflovski, in order to bring him to the darkness." The servant revealed.

"How dare you say something about Kyle like that?! And Kyle would never work for you! Even if he did kill someone…" Stan felt a cold rush run through his body.

'This is all happening so fast…could Kyle really…have killed some people?'

Stan's body began to shake uncontrollably.

"Not only is he a killer, but you can't see him, either." The servant replied.

"W-Why not?" Stan replied, losing energy.

"Well, you see, in order to see anyone in the faction of light, you have to be…granted permission. A spell is cast on you so that you can see the members of light, but here's the catch, only certain ranking members can be seen with each spell. So in other words, in order to see the higher ups, you have to have someone the rank beneath them cast a spell on you. You were never a member of the faction, so I'm afraid unless a spell is cast on you, you'll never see your long lost friend again."

"So how did Kyle get pulled into this faction then? And how do you plan to see Kyle yourself?" Stan asked.

"Ah. Great question. Well, we managed to get our hands on some of these spells…we had certain help from an unexpected ally…" The servant responded.

"You see, young Stanley…" The servant chuckled slightly, then burst out into maniacal laughter.

"Your friend is just a puppet for something much greater!" The servant's eyes began to give off a black mist, the red light bursting through the fog.

"You know, and now it's time…" The servant grinned.

"Stan!"

Stan gasped and twisted his head towards the direction of the voice. Kenny stood watching Stan in horror. Wind blew through the bow of the ship, making Kenny's orange parka and blonde hair wave slightly in the wind. Kenny gazed down at the gun by the servant.

"W-What's going on here?" Kenny asked.

For a moment, the world seemed as if it became still, as if time itself had ceased. Stan heard nothing but the heart beating in his chest as the tension around him rapidly increased. A battle was about to break out any second.

The battle exploded when the servant quickly reached down for the gun. Stan pressed his feet against the bow and leaped forward off his feet, diving for the revolver. The servant quickly plucked it off the ground, sending Stan falling to the hard wooden surface with a loud thud.

The servant kicked towards Stan's stomach. Stan felt a sharp pain in his lower abdomen and couldn't resist coughing up some blood. He clutched his stomach as the servant placed a shiny shoe on his right shoulder. Stan felt metal being pressed just above his ear.

"Pesky little thing, you are." The servant hissed. "I'll kill you, then kill your little friend, too. Oh and the fat one…I wouldn't rule him out either…" the servant pressed the metal more firmly into Stan's head. Stan felt himself shaking out of control. He imagined the bullet bursting through his skull, ending his life. He was so sure his confidence and will to survive would save him, but it was a sad reality that all of his efforts were likely to be to no avail.

'Kyle…' Stan tried remembering him in his mind. He remembered them embracing in the school pool, as snow felt outside. He imagined the final, warm kiss they shared before Kyle left South Park for good. The last time Stan saw him…on New Year's Eve…

'You can't just disappear on me like that…you bastard…' Stan gritted his teeth.

'I've came all this way…and you're just going to…' Stan slammed a hand against the wooden deck. He slowly pushed himself upwards. Blood trickled down both sides of his mouth as he panted heavily.

The servant threw a hard punch against Stan's right cheek, sending him toppling face down onto the deck. Stan felt dizzy from the blow, but his adrenaline was pumping. He couldn't stop, not yet. He coughed and panted heavily. Sweat rolled down his face as he forced himself up onto all fours.

"Stay down, you pest." The servant barked.

"Shoot that damn thing already, you prick!" Stan coughed, spewing up more blood.

Stan wobbled upwards, almost losing his balance as he stood up. He glared at the servant in his red eyes.

"Stan, stop! Just run!" Kenny screamed.

Stan smiled at the servant.

"Let me tell you something, you bastard…There's someone I love. It doesn't matter what it takes me. I'll see them again. And you aren't going to take that away from me, damn it!"

Blood trickled down to Stan's chin. The scarlet liquid welled up and dropped onto the fine wooden deck. Stan saw his vision beginning to blur slightly, he blinked a few times, trying to clear it.

The servant began laughing hysterically.

"This is the part where you die." The servant pointed the gun at Stan's chest.

The servant clicked the gun, loading a bullet into the chamber.

"Stan!" Kenny screamed and began running for Stan.

Stan looked down the barrel of the gun as the servant gazed at him menacingly.

'Kyle…do you remember what you said to me…after our last kiss? You told me…'

The servant began to pull the trigger on the revolver. "Rest well, lad."

The gun exploded in the night, sending blood flying through the air.

The last thing Stan heard before he blacked out, was Kenny's scream.

**…**

**POV**: Eric Cartman

Eric Cartman sighed as he walked along the ship's halls.

"So we're about to dock in Stockholm, huh? It's about time I get to see that Jew asshole again."

Eric placed his hands in his pockets. He had spent so much time by himself recently. It was strange, nearly every day on the ship Cartman wouldn't even bother seeking out Stan, Kenny, or Blanket. For the most part, he was taking strolls around the ship, pondering his current situation.

"Ahem!" Cartman stiffened and turned his head back behind him. Eric saw three servants standing in a triangular formation, one standing at the head. Eric watched blankly as all three servants quickly pulled out revolvers.

Cartman smiled.

"Piss off, boys." Cartman proceeded back to his walking.

After Eric took one footstep, the servant's lives were taken. Bodies fell to the floor, and blood stained the ships glass windows.

"I've gotta go pay a visit to my friends…"

Thunder and lightning boomed outside as Eric proceeded towards the front of the ship.

The Second Storm was drawing near.


End file.
